The Adventures of Raptor Trainer: The Island Challenge Arc
by Ginger the Barn Owl
Summary: There's a new Pokémon Trainer in the Alola region! She's stunning, she's cunning, she's...a VELOCIRAPTOR? How will she fare in the Pokémon world as a Trainer? Thrills! Chills! References! Malasadas! As serious as it may make itself out to be, it's crazy till the end! (Rated T: Brief, occasional violence with some blood.)
1. Author's Notes

_**HENLO READERS!**_

**Okay, before we get into this whole shebang, there are just a few things I'd like y'all to know.**

**-I acknowledge that this story is a crackpot idea and probably isn't going to be any good in the long run. Just bear with me; it's strictly for fun.  
-You might be able to figure out that this story has links to another franchise. There are two reasons that it isn't in the crossover section:**

**_1: There isn't enough direct involvement with the other franchise to count. (SPOILER ALERT!) It only consists of one character and flashbacks._  
_2: The crossover section on FanFiction barely gets any traffic, and as stupid as this story is, I'd like others to at least acknowledge that it exists._  
**

**-Constructive criticism is _advised_ and praise, if any, is welcome. Please no nitpicking, though. _Lookin' at you, St. Elmo's Fire. I've seen your reviews._**

**Well, with all of that out of the way...**

**ON TO THE SHENANIGANS!**


	2. Prologue

_Flee!_

_Flee!_

_Flee!_

_Keep running! Don't stop!_

_It could be right behind me. Don't even look back!_

_It's scent is getting weaker. Is it still following me?_

_I don't smell its foul stench. I don't hear its loud footsteps._

_Where are my sisters? Where is Master? Are they still trying to kill the monster? Did the monster kill them?!_

_What? A light? It's as bright as the one in the sky during the day. But it's nighttime. That can't be right._

_It's pulling me closer. It won't stop! Let go! LET GO!_

* * *

_..._

* * *

_What's happening?!_

_This isn't where I was before. It doesn't look like any place I've ever seen. This is wrong. VERY wrong!_

_Now what's THIS!?_

_Another horrible monster! This one is different; it's on all fours, and is glowing white and gold. It doesn't wreak of death like the other one._

_It's glowing brighter. What's it doing?! No! Get away! I won't let you take me!_

_GET AWAY!_


	3. Chapter 1: New Faces

That was the day everything changed.

I awoke to a strange sensation on my stomach and limbs. I opened my eyes to find myself lying on warm, white sand; something I'd never felt before. But I knew I liked it, so I rolled over only my side and purred as the sand shifted with my movement. I looked just ahead, and caught sight of what looked like a giant pool of water.

...Wait...No...Not pool.

Ocean.

I knew what it was; I just didn't know it had a name until now. What puzzled me was how I figured out it even had a name. Nobody ever told me what it was called, and I never picked it up from anywhere. I just...

..._knew._

I knew a lot of things now; so much that it almost made my head feel like exploding once I realized it. I was on a _beach_, and I saw small _waves_ crashing onto the _shore. _I watched the foaming ripples as they were drawn back into the sea, only to return just mere moments later. The sight of it was mesmerizing, and almost hypnotic.

It was only until then, upon staring out at the blue water for so long, that I realized just how thirsty I was.

How long had I been lying there? It must have been a while. The sun always felt good on my cold skin, but if I was in it for too long it would dry me out. I licked my parched lips and shifted my feet back onto the ground, then pushed myself up so that I could make my way to the shore and have a drink, not caring how salty it might be, or how I even knew the ocean was salty at all. And then...

Pain. It stabbed me right in the side like one of my sisters' huge, curved claws, ramming all the way through to my insides. I let out a gurgle of a scream, hoping someone would hear my pained cry. The metallic taste of blood began to fill my mouth, and I screamed again. Was I dying?

Would I die alone?

No.

Something heard me. I caught the familiar scent of those strange, skinny creatures that had been around me and my siblings our whole lives, raising us, teaching us, training us.

Humans. That's what they were called.

Two of them came, both clad in white, one considerably bigger, and slightly darker than the other. They towered over me, gasped and exchanged glances, quite obviously shocked by their discovery, then began speaking to each other.

For the first time in my life, I actually understood what they were saying; word for word.

"I've never seen anything like it!"

"It looks terrifying! Do you think it'll try to eat us!?"

"I don't think it'd be able to eat much of anything right now, it's bleeding so much. Let's get an X-ray and see what's causing that."

"Oh, we're not going to bring it inside, are we!?"

"Well, we can't just leave it here! It'll die, probably!"

Although I knew they meant to help, I'd never been so scared in my life. What if they only made me worse? What if they couldn't help in time? I wanted to get up and run, or perhaps muster the strength to fix whatever was wrong with myself, but I couldn't. I was completely paralyzed with fear, no part of me moving except for my shifting eyes and my pained side as it rose and fell with each sharp, agonizing breath.

"Easy, there. Just relax, okay?"

The bigger one reached out his hand and held it in front of me. What did he want? His hand was open and empty, so he wasn't holding out a treat for me to take; I probably couldn't have eaten it anyway. Was it a warning sign? Was it a peace offering? I did understand their vocal calls, but not so much their gestures.

He told me to relax...Easier said than done, but there was no harm in trying.

Hesitantly, I inched my snout closer to his open palm until we touched. He reached out his other hand and ran it along my lower jaw, the first one stroking my snout and moving up to my head. It felt nice, helping me to forget about the searing, burning pain in my side. I lowered my head, using what little strength I had to do no more than keep my eyes open, making sure I didn't slip away.

"That's it. Everything's going to be just fine."

Finally, I gave in to the overwhelming fatigue that plagued my head, and my eyes shut. I listened in as the two humans exchanged words.

"Is it..."

"No, it's still breathing. Let's get it to the lab and see what's wrong. You mind picking up that end?"

"Oh...Alright, Professor."

I guess I must have gone to sleep, because I only felt them lift me up for a split second before my mind succumbed to complete darkness.

* * *

...

* * *

When I woke up, I was greeted by a vast amount of new sights, sounds and smells. The room I was in was dimly lit, and the whirr of the nearby machinery gave off a strange ambiance. I smelled lots of metal. There was metal all around me, metal wiring, metal gadgets...metal ground? I was lying on something metal too; the surface beneath me was a raised metal platform, smooth and cold to the touch. It smelled of several different creatures that had been there before me.

As I sniffed the dull air, I caught a whiff of the familiar scent of blood.

I looked over onto my side to find that it had been wrapped in some sort of white cloth, which was stained bright red where I had felt the terrible pain. I was quick to discover that I also had several smaller patches lining my neck and the base of my tail.

In terms of pain, most of it had subsided into a dull ache. I didn't feel like I was on the verge of death anymore, so I supposed that was a good thing. I breathed deeply and let out a shaky snarl of a sigh, wanting nothing more than to relax my still shattered nerves.

The sound of footsteps caught my attention. I peered at the staircase to see one of the humans from earlier descend into the room.

"Up already?"

His voice was bright and cheerful. "Glad to see you awake. We were afraid we were gonna lose you for a while there. It was messy work; two broken ribs, a punctured lung and at least a dozen smaller puncture wounds along the edges of your torso. It looked pretty grizzly at first, but we got you all fixed up, and it looks like you're gonna be fine."

They'd actually managed to saved me. I don't think I could ever have thanked them enough for what they'd done, especially this one, who still had the faintest scent of my blood on his hands from his work. I was extremely grateful. To think, just the other day I had almost...

What happened the other day?

It was extremely fuzzy. From what I could pick out, a human had tried to steal our food, and me and my sisters got angry at him. Very angry. But we never got the chance to...

I didn't want to think about it. What had gotten into me that day? Trying to harm one of the creatures that I knew raised me.

That I knew had rescued me.

"You were dehydrated, too," the human continued. "We fixed that a bit with an IV, but you still seem a little dried out. Can you drink anything?"

I let out a raspy screech in response, my dry throat still begging for something to wet it.

"I'll be back with some water and we'll see how you do with that," he told me. "Hang in there."

He disappeared back up the stairs, leaving my to myself.

So I thought, that is.

I saw the other human, the smaller one, come in right after the former. She looked nervous; she came down slowly, and I could hear her rapid heartbeat.

"Um..." she stammered. "Hi, there."

I didn't make any noise; I just sat where I was, staring at her.

"I...I hear you're doing a lot better. Is that right?"

{_**I am,**_} was what I attempted to say, but all that came out was a low growl. Something I knew she couldn't make sense of, since she stepped back upon my answer.

"I was just curious...I-erm-We found this while we were patching you up."

She held up something in her hand for me to see. It wasn't a treat; it was big, white, hard, pointed...tooth.

"The Professor says, judging by the smaller marks, you were bitten by something; something big...with teeth like this."

Bit by bit, I pieced together what I knew. I had indeed been bitten, but then I was in the air, then I crashed into something before running away, and that was all I remembered. But how did it all happen? And how did I end up near the ocean? The human seemed to read my mind.

"Were you in a fight?"

That's when it all came back to me. The memories of that terrible day flash-flooded my brain in an instant. The escape, the chase...the monster.

The big, white monster, bigger than the four of us combined. What it had said to us was bone-chilling.

{_**I am your Alpha now. They are weak. Kill them.**_}

{_**I don't want to...**_}

{_**Then you are also weak.** **If you don't kill them, I'll kill you.**_}

We had reluctantly obeyed. It was terrible; we weren't even using them for food. We were just...

"Are you okay?"

I looked her in the eye, ignoring the peculiar sensation of moisture I felt on my face. She stepped a bit closer, seeming more concerned than afraid.

"I don't know what you went through that made you end up like this," she said to me. "But I don't think anyone should ever have to go through whatever happened, and we think you must be really strong to have survived something like that."

Strong? Me? She had to have been kidding. I was the runt of my pack; small, scrappy...weak. My sisters let me hear it all the time about just how weak I was, and how I never stood a chance against Beta. I figured the human was only telling me such a thing to make me feel better.

"Finally warming up to each other, eh?"

The other one had returned, holding a metal bowl in his hand.

"Oh, Professor! I...Sort of, I suppose. It hasn't eaten me yet, so I guess that's a good sign."

She let out a half-hearted chuckle. I wasn't happy that she thought I was going to do such a thing, and I was determined to change her mind when I got the chance.

The bigger human-"Professor," I guessed his name was-placed the bowl in front of me on the table I was lying on. When I saw the water shift inside of the metal dish, I plunged my face into it and gulped down whatever splashed its way into my mouth; you can imagine that most of it ended up on the floor, though.

"Wow...You must have been really thirsty, huh?"

I gave him a happy chirp in thanks, then shifted my legs to the edge of the table and pushed myself off with my arms. My legs became a bit sore upon standing, but they still worked well enough, and I was glad of it.

"You sure look a lot different now than when we found you last night. But don't get too riled up; Lillie and I still want to run a few more tests before we let you go."

Tests? I didn't know what they meant by that. I was well on the way to recovery, so why would they need me for anything else? The smaller human, who's name was apparently Lillie, spoke up.

"We just want to learn more about you. We've never seen anything like you before, so we'd like to do a bit of research."

It sounded fine enough. I wasn't in any hurry to leave, anyway; I had no idea how far away home was, and I enjoyed the humans' company. I curled up on the floor beside the metal table and shut my eyes, feigning sleep.

"Should we leave it?"

"Yeah, let it get some more shuteye. Some studies show that more sleep can speed up the healing of wounds, did you know that?"

"No, I didn't."

Their conversation turned into an incoherent muffle once they reached the top floor. My eyes shot open and I quietly stood back up. There was so much to explore in this new place, I couldn't possibly relax. I walked around a bit to catch some new sights; a stiff bag that smelled like leather, a cluttered bookshelf, a giant tank of water that housed two odd, pink fish(both of which quickly darted into hiding upon seeing me,) and...

My eyes locked onto a large, glass display case. I stepped over to it and peered through the glass, looking to see what was inside. Behind the glass were...things I'd never seen before; red and white spherical objects, each of which had a white button on the front of it. The possibility that I might get into trouble for messing with things was pushed clean out of my head by my curiosity. I tried to push the glass cover off with the edge of my snout; it didn't budge. So I tried pushing it with my hands; still nothing. I turned around to look for something I could push it with, and my tail brushed against something on the case; something that made the glass cover unhinge with a '_hiss_' and rise open.

I took note of the red button in the center of the frame. Maybe that was what opened it.

I grasped one of the round objects in my clawed hand and pulled it right out, bringing it up to my face to examine it more closely. It had a bit of weight to it, but not enough to be a solid mass; it was hollow on the inside. That gave me a bit of a clue as to what it was.

The first thing that came to mind was that it was one of those food puzzles. I remembered occasionally coming across those strange objects in my old home. Neither me nor any of my sisters knew exactly what they were, but what we did know was that they had bits food inside of them, and it was always a challenge to get them out. Whenever we did manage to get to the hidden treats, we felt very proud of ourselves; it always seemed harder for me, though. Beta especially made it look so easy.

I smelled something through the small cracks in the ball that I was almost positive was a piece of food, just waiting for me to snatch it up. Surely, it was a food puzzle; what else could it be? I was determined to get it out, so I threw the object across the room, expecting it to crack open and drop some of what it had inside.

What actually happened, though, was beyond me.

The ball did split open when it hit the wall, but instead of meat, it released a swirling red light. I instinctively ran behind the fish tank for safety, and watched as the red mass materialized on the floor, and became...

A bird?

But this wasn't like the brown thrushes I'd frequently see flying overhead back home, though it was brown-and white, and green, and much rounder than a thrush. It had large, black eyes and a blunt, orange and white beak.

"_Koo?_"

It stared back at me, looking just as surprised as I probably did. The thoughts I had of food evaporated, and all I wanted now was to try and interact with it.

I stepped out from behind the tank and peered down at the bird. It waddled closer to me, it's black eyes looking right into mine. I gave him a raspy greeting.

{**_Hello._**}

"_Roo._"

The creature was awfully small; not even the size of my head. I was surprised at how undeterred it seemed in my presence. Then again, I wasn't making myself out to be a threat.

I decided to experiment; see how this bird would react to my movement. I stepped forward some-it fluttered behind me. I walked some more-it followed me. I turned to face it-it stepped back and bowed its head a bit. I turned in a circle-it did the same. I bent down, almost sitting-it sat itself down all the way. It was almost like this creature was...

...Following my commands.

Something clicked inside my head. I'd always been at the bottom of the pile, following orders, being nipped, and getting fed last. Now I had something that would obey _my_ orders, do what _I_ told it, when _I_ wanted it to. I never thought I'd see the day.

I was exhilarated.

I motioned for it to back away some, which it promptly did, before making my announcement.

{_**I am your new Alpha.**_}

"_Koo hoo._"

It bowed its head in submission, and I knew immediately that it accepted my authority. I almost screamed, I was so happy. My mind flooded with plans; what could I make this creature do for me? Could I get it to hunt? To defend me? To track down the others? It was incredible.

First things first; I had to properly communicate with this creature. It's language was incomprehensible to me, just as mine was to he humans. But I could understand the humans; maybe it could understand me? I didn't know, but it was worth the shot.

{_**Do you understand me?**_}

There was a flicker of wisdom in the bird's eyes as it bobbed its head up and down. Now, I did know what that meant. Me and my sisters nodded our heads whenever we understood something. We'd seen the humans do the same on occasion with one another, which is where I guessed we picked it up from.

The creature nuzzled against the outside of my leg and cooed, and I bent down and chippered to it in response. Then, it flapped its small wings and flew to the ball I'd thrown at the wall. It took it in its beak and fluttered back over to me, placing it at my feet.

I had no idea how the strange device worked. I knew that the bird had been inside of it, because I had witnessed it come out when it opened. But as a red mass? I was confused.

It gave me one more nod before tapping the ball with its stubby beak and returning to the glowing red form I'd first seen it as. I watched in awe as it was sucked right back into the red and white sphere.

He was gone; inside of the strange ball. How it happened, I had no idea. How was it even able to fit inside of that thing? It was barely half the bird's size. I was bewildered.

"Something happen down here?"

I jumped a bit. It was the Professor. I hid behind the fish tank, afraid that he'd be mad that I tampered with the things under the glass.

"Heh heh...I see you've been exploring the lab some, huh?"

I ducked back even more, overwhelmed with guilt.

"Hey, it's fine, it's fine...Well..." He picked the red and white orb up off the floor and examined it. "As long as you didn't hurt anything in here."

The Professor opened the sphere and rereleased the strange bird.

"Howzit, Rowlet? That thing over here didn't scare you at all, did it?"

"_Roo?_"

The bird-"Rowlet"-turned to face me, then immediately ran to my side, and I greeted it with a light chuff.

"Hey, now hold on. Did you two...form a bond?"

Bond? Yes. I supposed we did. We both nodded in response to the question, and I demonstrated by giving Rowlet the same commands I had before.

"Wow...Now this is something to study. Erm...You," He pointed to me. "...I'll need a blood sample from you for testing."

_Blood sample?_ The term buzzed in my brain, and the fuzzy memories came back. Yes, yes...Someone once came into our paddock to take a "blood sample." Twice actually...three times? I wasn't sure how many times it was, but it was definitely more than once. He was a human in a white coat...just like the Professor's. He poked me something sharp and cold, and it broke right through the skin. He did it to all four of us while we were strapped down onto a metal table, similar to the one in the lab...It wasn't a pleasant experience.

Beta had claimed that it was a strength test; something the humans did to see how well we could endure pain. As expected, I was always the first one to cry out in agony.

{**_You're pathetic, Omega,_**} Gamma had said one time after the blood samples were taken. {_**This is why you're at the bottom.**_}

I didn't like it when they scorned me. I didn't like that I was at the bottom. It made me mad. It made me want to prove to them that I could be just as strong as them.

I stiffened myself, marched to the metal table and climbed back onto it, readying myself for the test. I told myself that this time, I would pass it, and I wouldn't even so much as flinch when the metal needle pushed its way through my hide.

"Wait, you wanna do it now? Not while you're asleep?"

I nodded.

"Um...Well...Okay."

He slipped on a pair of plastic gloves from his coat pocket, then pulled a clean syringe off of one of the shelves before making his way over to me. He poked and prodded my uninjured side; it seemed like he was looking for something.

Then he stopped, sighed, and pointed the needle at the spot. I knew what was coming, so why was I shaking so much?

"_Koo roo._"

Rowlet was on the floor, watching from below. I gave it a reassuring purr, letting the bird know that there was nothing it should worry about.

I tensed up when I felt the needle break the skin and push its way through. I thought that was bad, but it really hurt when I felt the needle begin to suck the blood out of my vein. All the time, I strained to keep my mouth shut. Don't scream, don't scream...

Don't.

Scream.

Then, all of a sudden, the pain was gone, as though I'd never felt it.

"Alright, all finished," the Professor said. "You did pretty well there."

I stood up off the table and swelled with pride. I'd done it. I'd endured the test without so much as a grunt.

"I'll go ahead and analyze this. Shouldn't take anymore than a few hours. In the mean time, can I get you anything to eat?"

I only realized how hungry I was when he said the word "eat." When was the last time I'd eaten anything? I barked in response.

"I take that as a 'yes.' Be back in a sec'."

And he was gone again. Rowlet nuzzled my leg again and flew to the top of the table from the floor, fluffing his feathers upon landing.

"_Koo, koo roo._"

He spun around in a circle, then fluttered onto the top of my head, which surprised me at first, but I decided to let him stay there for the time being, at least until my food arrived. Rowlet was a strange little creature, but I was glad to have him as my underling. After all, he was my first underling, and one of my first companions in this new place. I wasn't keen on the idea of losing him.

And I wasn't keen on being torn away from him by the white monster, if I was unlucky enough for it to show up again.


	4. Chapter 2: To be a Trainer

_"Alright, chow time!"_

_"Whoa, whoa, back up!"_

_"Take it easy. Jeez, there's plenty of food. You guys been eatin' sugar or something? You're hyper today."_

_I was running around the nursery, looking to snatch any and every morsel Alpha threw as my sisters did the same. I would get the most this time, I promised myself. I didn't want Gamma to take it all for herself, like she had last time._

_Speak of the devil; we collided with one another as we went after the same piece of meat as it flew across the room. One end ended up in my mouth, the other in Gamma's._

_{**This one's mine, Gamma,**} I snarled at her, holding steadfast onto my prize. {**You go find another one.**}_

_{**I had it first, Omega! Let go!**}_

_She shook her head wildly; something I hadn't expected her to do, and it hurt my neck when she did. But I still refused to let go._

_{**There's plenty on the ground now, Gamma,**} I tried to reason with her, even though I knew that it wouldn't do anything to sway her deep down. {**Let go.**}_

_{**No, you let go!**}_

_She was getting mad now. I didn't know what the big deal was. There was plenty more for her to take instead of the one I had._

_"Hey, you two, what's going on here?"_

_It was Alpha. Gamma finally let go of my meat and turned to face him, and I could see the guilt in her eyes when she looked into his._

_"Quit stealing from your sister, Charlie," he ordered as he pointed down to another piece of meat on the ground. Gamma seemed to forget all about her anger, and she grabbed the piece and ran away, satisfied._

_"She hurt you?" he questioned, running his hand down along my neck to check for injuries. "Doesn't feel like anything's wrong. You guys can get awful rough sometimes, you know? Gotta be more careful..."_

_He patted me on the head and stood back up, and I watched him tend to Delta, who was now fighting with Gamma over another piece of food._

_{**Is your neck alright?**}_

_It was Beta; she had come over to make sure I wasn't hurt._

_{**It's fine,**} I replied. It wasn't a lie; the pain had begun to subdue. Besides, I didn't want to look weak in front of her. {**Why does Gamma act so mean during chow time?**}_

_{**She's always hungry. She would probably eat everything if Alpha wasn't here to stop her.**}_

_She nudged another piece of meat on the ground toward me._

_{**I'm full. You can have it.**}_

_She gave me a quick nuzzle before turning away. I never understood why Beta was so nice to me, especially after the big fight we had a few weeks ago. I was at the bottom, and she was just below Alpha. Delta and Gamma were never nice to me; they always bullied me, and they bullied each other, too, when they got the chance._

_Delta and Gamma..._

_What did Alpha call Gamma? "Charlie?" Odd. Me and my sisters always called her Gamma, since she ranked right below Beta in our pack. "Charlie." It didn't actually sound too bad._

_But if Gam-_**Charlie**_ got a special name, why didn't the rest of us?_

* * *

_..._

* * *

I woke up on the cool tile floor, Rowlet by my side.

"_Roo?_" He seemed concerned with my fatigue.

{**_I'm fine, Rowlet. Just tired,_**} I assured him.

When the Professor brought me a bowl of meat, I'd eaten myself into oblivion, and slipped into a food coma by the bookshelf. When I finally woke up, I didn't even feel rested, so I didn't bother trying to get up and wander. All I wanted was to stay down, relax and watch Rowlet flit about my head making paltry hoots.

It was about this time that I heard Lillie and the Professor exchanging words. Had they just started, or had they been there discussing things with one another the whole time, and I was too stupefied to notice? I didn't know, but I supposed it didn't matter, so I listened to what they said from my position by the bookshelf.

"So, what does the double 'X' on there mean?"

"I won't go into all the details, because there are a lot. But to put it straight, it means we can stop calling it an 'it' and start calling it a 'she.'"

"So, that...thing." Lillie turned her head to look at me from the lab area. "It's...a girl?"

"Yep. But just knowing that it's female isn't the extent of my discoveries. Wanna know what I found out?"

"What?"

"It hasn't been documented. I can't find a match to the DNA sample anywhere. The closest I've found are Sceptile and Archeops, but neither specimen shares even half of the code."

"So, it's a new species of Pokémon?"

"That's the other thing. I'm not so sure that creature is a Pokémon at all."

"What?! B-but-Why isn't it a Pokémon? What else could it be?"

"She has extremely weak aura readings compared to any other Pokémon discovered so far; too weak to even use battle moves. In Pokémon, an aura reading that weak means that the specimen is either in critical condition or extremely young. Or both, sometimes. But judging by the tooth and skeletal analysis I did while she was asleep, she's fully grown, and her wounds are healing up well enough so that she remains stable."

"But what about type? Doesn't she have a type? Normal? Dark? Fighting? Any of those?"

"No. It's typeless. And another thing."

"Another thing?"

"Poké Balls have no effect on her. If she were wild, it would encapsulate her. If she already had a ball, she'd be coated by a protective barrier that would prevent illegitimate capture."

There was a long silence between the two of them that made me feel uneasy. I didn't exactly get what they were talking about; I had lost them at "DNA." And what was a "Pokémon?" I'd never heard of such a thing. And "types?" It was all foreign to me.

"Well, if she's not a Pokémon, then...what is she?"

"I don't know."

I wasn't so sure that I knew myself. Sure, I knew what I must have looked like, because I was always around others that recognized me as their own kind, but did it matter if you didn't have a name for what you were? The humans had names. The thrushes had names, Rowlet had a name. Why not me?

"I guess...this must be a pretty groundbreaking discovery, huh?"

"Oh, you have no idea just how right you are."

"So, uh...What do we call it?"

"Hmm...I don't know yet. I'll have to think about it. Who knows? Maybe she'd like to decide herself when the time comes."

_That would be nice,_ I said to myself.

"So, girl," the Professor said to me as he walked over. "How about we take you outside for a bit, see how well you do?"

The house was comfortable enough, but the idea of fresh air was appealing, so I nodded and stood up. The floor was beginning to feel cold, anyway, and the warm sand outside would be a nice change.

The Professor lead me up the stairs and onto the main floor, then he opened the door and escorted me out onto the front porch. It was early evening, and the sky above the horizon was pale yellow in contrast to the softening blue. I stepped off the porch and back onto the sand; it was warm and inviting, and it flowed like silk in between my toes as I lifted my feet.

"_Koo roo!_"

Rowlet had followed us outside, apparently not wanting to leave me. I gave him an amused huff as he circled around my head through the air and landed on my back.

It was only now that I noticed that he had the strange red and white ball-the "Poké Ball"- in his stubby beak. He dropped it into the sand and motioned for me to pick it up.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on a second, Rowlet!" the Professor exclaimed. "You two can be friends, but she can't be your Trainer! She's not a person! Only people can have a Trainer's license!"

Rowlet hooted at him in disdain, a scowl having spread across his white face, and he suddenly looked much more intimidating in spite of his small size.

"Rowlet, don't give me that look."

He puffed his feathers out stubbornly, then flew to the ground, grabbed the Poké Ball and tossed it at me. I instinctively responded by grabbing it in my jaws before moving it to my hands. Rowlet then proceeded to tap his beak on the ball, which reduced him back to a glowing mass and sucked him back inside. All I did in response was stand there, dumbfounded.

"Oh, boy..." The Professor broght his hand to his head. "Rowlet wants you to be his official Trainer. How do you like them apples, huh?"

I wasn't sure what the Professor meant by that. Did it mean that I couldn't train Rowlet to do as I commanded? But I was his Alpha; I was in charge of what he did. And while I knew the Professor wouldn't try to break our connection, Rowlet and I had already agreed upon my leadership. He had no say in it...Did he?

"Rowlet's ball, please?" He motioned for me to give it to him. "I should probably take it inside before you-"

I ducked back, clutching the Poké Ball tighter. I had no intentions on letting the Professor take Rowlet away from me.

"Get any...ideas. Oh, man...So, you think you can be a Pokémon Trainer?"

I nodded again. I wanted to be allowed to train Rowlet. I wanted it very much.

"This is just nuts, now..." He let out a heavy sigh in between speaking. "Alright, if you insist, I'll see what I can do to make it be a thing. I can't make any promises yet, though."

I chirped happily, and thanked the Professor for his understanding by nuzzling his hand; I remembered that Beta sometimes did that to one of us when we were hurt or scared. The Professor responded by rubbing it up and down my snout again.

"Heh...You ain't so scary, now, are you?"

I barked with satisfaction; at least one of the humans knew they could trust me.

I dropped Rowlet's ball and let him come back out. The bird turned to me, churred and fluttered to the top of my back again; he was glad to see me.

"I'm going to town and see what I can do for you in terms of a license. You and Rowlet play, and keep her out of trouble, Rowlet."

The bird nodded, though he wore a mischievous smirk on his face. The Professor headed in a separate direction, towards what looked like Main Street from a distance. I turned my head and looked at Rowlet, who seemed curious about the white and red-stained bandages wrapped around my middle.

{**_I hope the Professor get me a license,_**}I said to him. {_**I'd like to be able to train you properly.**_}

To have a license, to be a "Pokémon Trainer." What was a Pokémon? Apparently I wasn't one, according to the Professor. Was it another type of creature? Was it a group of creatures?

...Was Rowlet a Pokémon?

I needed to be a Pokémon Trainer in order to train Rowlet, so the human had said. It sounded like a logical conclusion, but I had to know for sure, so I turned and asked him.

Rowlet responded to my question with a nod, which was all the confirmation I needed. Rowlet was indeed a Pokémon. So, what other kinds of Pokémon were there, if any? Did they all resemble Rowlet to an extent? Did they not? As far as I knew Rowlet was the only Pokémon I'd seen so far, unless those pink fish in the lab were also Pokémon, which I didn't know for certain. And why hadn't I heard about Pokemon until now? It seemed as though the more I learned, the less I knew. Ironic, it seemed, but true.

"Wow...What do you suppose that is, girl?"

I heard the unfamiliar voice come from somewhere behind the lab building. I turned around and saw another human; a third one. He wore darker clothes than Lillie and the Professor. His skin was a bit darker, too, and he had an odd, blue creature at his side. Was that another Pokémon? It wasn't much bigger than Rowlet, and it had slick, shiny skin and a large, pink nose. They both noticed that I was aware of their presence, and they inched back some, even though they were still pretty far away to begin with.

"I've never seen anything like it...It looks pretty strong, though. I don't know if we can handle a battle against it just yet, Popplio."

"_Bwar, bwark,_" the blue creature responded to him.

Was this human a friend of the Professor's? He didn't seem like a threat, but he was obviously concerned that I would attack him.

I called for Rowlet to follow me, and I made my way towards them with a light, springy gait, trying to make myself as unthreatening as possible, as I wanted to introduce myself properly.

"Whoa, that's kinda close," he said once I had shortened the distance between us to a mere few feet. "We don't want any trouble, you hear?"

I knew that. I didn't intend on causing any. To show him what I meant, I bent my head down and sniffed his hand, then nudged it with the tip of my snout, hoping he wouldn't be startled by my greeting. He seemed to be more in awe than he was afraid.

"Oh, man...What are you?"

I wished I could answer his question. I merely stepped back some and answered with a friendly bark.

"I mean, lookit'chah...You're awesome!"

Me? Awesome? I gave him another bark in thanks.

"_Bwark! Bwark!_"

The little blue creature stepped in between me and the human, looking up at me with a defensive glare.

"_Roo!_"

Rowlet confronted it angrily, and the two began to stand off against one another, each of them growling as fiercely as they could.

"You wanna pitch a battle with that Rowlet, Popplio?"

The creature-"Popplio"-turned to its Alpha and nodded.

"Weird. You normally don't see Rowlet in the wild. Do you think it has a Trainer?" he thought aloud.

Now this was a question I could answer. I showed off the Poké Ball in my hand by tossing it up and grabbing it again.

"Wait...YOU'RE Rowlet's Trainer?!"

I nodded. With or without a license, I would make sure Rowlet won this battle.

{**_Rowlet. Get ready to fight._**}

The bird Pokémon let out an aggressive trill. The human stepped back a ways, and the two Pokémon stepped in front of us.

"Let's do this, Popplio! Use Pound!"

The opposing Pokémon came at Rowlet with astounding speed and began to whack him with its front flippers. To my dismay, Rowlet simply stood there and took the beating, looking at me desperately for directions.

{_**Bite it! Butt it! Scratch it! Do something!**_} I ordered frantically.

Rowlet seemed confused, but he did his best to obey, and thwarted the barrage of flipper slaps by ramming himself into the enemy's chest, sending it flying back.

{**_Don't let it get back up!_**} I commanded. {Use all your strength! Use the strongest attack you can possibly can!}

Rowlet seemed to know exactly what I meant. He flew into the air, then, to my surprise, shot a barrage of glowing green leaves from his open wings right at Popplio. They hit their target mercilessly, sending the creature into a weakened daze as it struggled to push itself back up.

{_**Finish it!**_} I snarled. {_**Tackle it again!**_}

This time, Rowlet didn't hesitate, and he collided with the opponent once more. This time, the creature didn't stand up; it simply lay there, unconscious.

The human pulled out a Poké Ball of his own and returned Popplio into a red mass similar to Rowlet's whenever I did the same, housing the creature inside.

"Sorry, Popplio. We'll get 'em next time," he said to his Pokémon before fixing his gaze onto me.

"Dang. You're good for a...Well, I don't know what you are, really."

_Neither do I,_ I thought. The only understandable answer I could give him was a confused tilt of the head.

"One thing's for sure, I haven't seen anything like you around here before. Maybe the Professor will, though..."

He did know the Professor. I cawed at him in understanding, and motioned to the white cloth bandages wrapped around my middle.

"Oh, dang! How did I not notice that?!" he exclaimed, rushing over. He was quick to notice the bright red bloodstain on my left.

"Augh, that's gnarly. Did...Did the Professor do this? The bandages, I mean?"

I barked and nodded.

"So, then, you two know each other?"

I gave another nod.

"You do...Wow. I gotta ask him about this when I get the chance."

"Well, Hau, you're chance is now. Hey, girl. Gettin' friendly with the locals, now, are we?"

{**_Professor! You're back!_**} I greeted, circling around him and rubbing the tip of my snout against his shoulder.

"Ha ha...I'm happy to see you, too."

"Professor...What is it?"

"That's just it, Hau; I don't have any idea. She's not a Pokémon, though, I can tell you that."

"Weird. Well, it uh-or _she_-We sorta had a...battle. With our Pokémon."

"You two battled!?"

"Yup. And she won."

"She and you had a Pokémon battle. And...She. Won. Is that what you're saying?"

"Ah, yup."

The Professor was silent, but I could see the wonder in his eyes.

"This is...I can't even find the words for it."

"Radical?"

"_Tch_. That's an understatement. It's not just that, it's...phenomenal."

"Where'd she come from? Do you know?"

"No. We found her outside the research lab, badly injured," the Professor replied, running his hand down my spine near the bandaged area. "If we hadn't been there, she wouldn't have lived. And she should still probably take it easy for a few more days."

"You haven't ever seen anything else like her?"

"Not anything remotely close."

"Then, if we don't know where she came from, then...What'll you do with her when she's better?"

"Hm...I've never really thought much about that. But I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it, am I right?"

"Fair enough. I think I like her; she seems awful friendly with you."

"Yeah, maybe, but there's no doubt she's a predator, wherever she came from. The build, the forward-facing eyes, the teeth...the claws. Look here, did you see the big one? Four inches from base to tip, at least."

The Professor pointed down at my feet, and I shifted as I observed my curved claws more closely. I never really acknowledged just how big and sharp they were.

"Whoa, you're right. They're huge. And curved...They're almost like _sickles_, almost!"

"I know. Now, in terms of your passport," he continued, turning back to me. "I'll have to take your photo and supply you with some basic needs before you can set out to be a Trainer. Wanna head back in and we can take care of that now?"

I chuffed in agreement and started making my way back inside without their accompaniment.

"I guess that's a 'yes,' then, isn't it, Professor?"

"Sounds like one. You wanna come in and see how everything goes?"

"I was coming over to ask you about some of the training methods I'm trying with Popplio, but when I saw her, I guess I forgot."

"Well, you and I can discuss that after I have everything set with uh...the creature."

"You don't have a name for it yet?"

"Nope. That's not the most important thing right now, though."

"Eh, You'll figure it out at some point. Hey, come on, I wanna see where this goes!"

"Hey! Don't leave me in the dust, you two!"

* * *

_..._

* * *

It got boring after a while, so I took Rowlet back outside with me to explore. We ran into a few odd-looking brown and yellow hairy Pokémon while we were out wandering, but Rowlet protected me from their ferocious nips by imploying the same leafy attack he had earlier when we battled against Hau's Popplio. I was somewhat tempted to eat them, seeing how small they were, but they were very fast and very nasty, so I didn't bother. Plus, something deep inside of me told me it wasn't the right thing to be doing.

It seemed strange, but Rowlet looked noticeably stronger when we came out of the grass after fighting all of the hairy creatures. He gave off a loud victory hoot, and I noticed that the sound of his cry seemed to bounce back, almost as though another Rowlet were trying to answer from afar.

I wondered if I would get the same result, so I reared back my head and let out a scream. Sure enough, the sound of my voice sounded again thrice, each time just a bit more quiet than the last. I screamed again-same result. What was causing this?

"That's an echo."

Hau surprised me some, but I knew he meant no harm, so I simply stood there, waiting to hear what else he had to say, if anything.

"See, when you make a loud noise, the sound travels and bounces off stuff, and it comes back to you, and that's an echo. Pretty neat, huh?"

I nodded.

"It's weird how things work, isn't it? Hey, come on back inside! I think the Professor's almost done, and he says that he wants you to meet someone else!"

Hau had already begun running back to the lab again. I followed, but slowly; I wanted to look at the sunset some more. I'd never really appreciated just how stunning the sky was at dawn and dusk, and this first time was magnificent.

I screamed once more; I wanted to hear my echo again. The sound of my own kind seemed to fill the hole in my heart that my sister's normally occupied, even if it was, in reality, coming from my own throat, and returning as an echo.

An echo...

Why did that word set off so many alarms in my head?


	5. Chapter 3: Essential Oddities

"Are you sure they would accept that? It looks a bit...incomplete."

Lillie was right. A lot of the spaces on the first page of the passport were just filled in with "unknown." How I knew what the little pencil scribbles on the paper were meant to say, I also didn't know, but I could read them.

"**Name: Unknown**"  
"**Age: Unknown**"  
"**Species: Unknown**"  
"**Birthday: Unknown**"

"I know, Lillie, but I don't have a lot going for me right now. If and when we find out the answers, though, then I'll fix those spots."

"But will she be allowed to train with so little information in there?"

"I'll discuss the matter with the Island Kahuna and see what say he has about it. She really wants this, you know, human or not, so I told her I'd see what I could do. We gotta help out one another, you know?"

The Professor was right, too. I did want this; I'd already found such a great Beta in Rowlet, and I wasn't willing to give up my newfound authority. Fortunately, not all of the spaces in the passport that were filled in were quite so nondescript. There were a few that the Professor did know the answer to.

"**Height: 5' 6"**"  
"**Weight: 210 lbs**"  
"**Gender: Female**"  
"**Adventure Started on: 6/14/15**"

"Now, let me ask you something. Do you know your way around these parts?" the Professor asked me.

I shook "no." Nothing outside had either looked or smelled familiar, and I'd been contained in such a comparatively smaller area for most of my life that the sudden increase of range I realized I had access to was almost overwhelming.

"Well, then, you'll need a map. And if you go out to catch Pokémon, you'll need a PokéDex to record the data on what you've caught. And I've got both of those things right here in one package."

He held up something flat and red for me to look at. I sniffed it; it smelled a bit of metal, but mostly of plastic. I cocked my head in confusion; what did this contraption do?

"Now, listen closely. This is the PokéDex. Before I hand it over to you, I wanna see how well you interact with it. It's one of the only few of its kind in the world right now, and I want to make sure you'll take extra good care of it."

{_**I'll do my best,**_} I answered with a nod. There was a glimmer of understanding in the Professor's eyes.

"Alright. Let's see how you two do."

"_Koo roo?_"

Rowlet and I watched intently as the Professor pulled out another Poké Ball and opened it. The red mass began to materialize in midair instead of on the ground, and it became...

Something very, _very_ strange-looking.

It didn't didn't resemble any creature I'd ever seen; I was skeptical that it looked like a living creature _at all_. It was round and orange, and two spiky, jittery wings of some sort protruded from each side of it. Its uncanny blue eyes were very large, and it had a noticeable spike on the top of its head. It fell so deep into unfamiliarity that I found myself wary of it, and let out a little squawk of surprise when I saw it.

It seemed more afraid of me than I was of it, however, and with a squeak of a yelp twice as fearful as mine, it darted off behind the kitchen counter.

"Hey, wait, come back, Rotom! She won't hurt you!"

The creature peeked out from hiding and stared right at me. I took a step back to give it more space, hoping I hadn't muddled up what the Professor was trying to do. The creature rose a bit higher into the air and tilted its head curiously, still wide-eyed.

"See, buddy? Now, come on out and introduce yourself."

It came out of hiding slowly, floating over the counter and closer to where the rest of us were standing, and stopped when it was still a good two yards away from me.

"That's right. Now, just stay still, Rotom, and let her come say hello."

I was still skeptical. This odd thing might have been small, but that didn't mean it wasn't dangerous in some way.

"It's okay, girl. Just go slowly."

_Alright,_ I decided. A sigh escaped my lips, and I slowly walked towards the odd floating life form. It stayed in its place, but looked increasingly more scared as I got closer. Finally, we were no more than my head's distance away from each other. I sniffed it; it smelled almost like smoke, but the scent was blunt and very weak. I saw Rotom flinch, and I backed a few steps away again to give it some more space.

"See? That wasn't so bad, was it?"

It wasn't. The both of us nodded at the Professor in agreement, and I watched as Rowlet flew over.

"_Hoo hoo!_" he greeted the other Pokémon. Rotom seemed to take a quicker liking to Rowlet than to me, as the two began to engage in an incomprehensible conversation almost immediately.

"Alright, Rotom. I got your PokéDex all set up for you to go in," The Professor interrupted them, holding the red gadget in the air for it to see. "Show our scaly friend what you can do!"

I watched as Rotom made an excited beeline through the air to the flat device and slammed smack into it. The recoil sent it flying out of the Professor's hand, but instead of clattering onto the floor like I expected, it began to float. Out of the top popped a familiar looking spike, then one limb, then another, then two small nubs on the bottom that I supposed resembled feet to an extent. The PokéDex turned around-There on the screen was the creature's still very nervous face.

Was Rotom inside of that thing? Did it become the PokéDex? Or both, maybe? Very odd. It certainly looked way different; I preferred this new appearance, really. It looked slower, calmer...tamer.

"Pretty neat, isn't it?"

I nodded at what the Professor said, but my eyes refused to look away from the marvel I'd just witnessed and at him.

"It's a special PokéDex that can house a Rotom, like this one. This little guy's got everything; enhanced scanning system, GPS, camera, all that! But you wanna know the best part. The designers went all out with the voice-programming functions, and they made it so Rotom can speak when he's inside there!"

{_**Speak? Like you and the other humans? How so?**_}

I let out a frustrated growl. Why did I keep forgetting about the language barrier between me and the humans?

"Go on, Rotom, say somethin'."

"_Zzrt! It won't eat me, will it?_"

I was greatly surprised by both its newfound ability to speak like the humans and by what it'd said, and I shook my head disconcertedly. I had begun to like the strange Pokémon better at this point, but it was obvious that it wasn't warming up to me just yet.

{_**Why does everybody think I'm going to eat them?**_} I wondered aloud, not caring that nobody could interpret my complaint.

I didn't realize I was wrong.

"_Well, I mean no offense, but you look like you would,_" Rotom responded. "_Professor, did you see the sizzze of its teeth? According to me calculations, the longest onezzz are more than an inch and a half long!_"

"Yes, I-Wait...She looks like she would what?"

"_Eat everybody! That's what she said, kzzrt!_"

I instantly raised my head in shock. "That's what she said." Rotom knew what I said. Was I hearing this right?

"You can understand her?"

"_Why wouldn't I? I can understand all of the other Pokémon you bring to the lab!_"

I was. He could understand me. It seemed like one amazing thing after another in this world was just waiting to take my breath away. What could be next?

"But, thing is, Rotom, she's not a Pokémon."

"_She's not? Then, what is she? What are you?_"

{_**I don't know.**_}

"What'd she say, Rotom?"

"_She...says she doesn't know. What about just a name?_"

I did have a name; just like the humans, and all of my sisters. There was Beta, then Gamma-or Charlie, the name I decided to start using instead-then Delta, and then there was me...All of my sisters called me "Omega," because that was my position in the pack.

But I didn't like that name. It was a name for a scrappy runt, and I refused to be a scrappy runt anymore. If I wasn't Omega anymore, I would have to think of something else; a new name, like "Charlie," but different. If not now, then later.

{**_Not yet._**}

"What'd she say now?"

"_She said 'Not yet.'_"

Nobody else gave a response, and I shifted my feet anxiously.

"So, what now?" Lillie finally said. "Do we head on over to Iki Town and see what the Kahuna has to say?"

"I guess there isn't much else to do right now. Come on, everyone, let's head on up there!"

"I'll go ahead and meet you guys there!" Hau exclaimed as he ran out the door.

"There he goes again," the Professor commented. "Well, let's not keep him waiting."

The two humans followed their peer out the door fairly quickly, but I staggered behind with the two Pokémon that served as my company.

{_**I've never seen anything like you in my life,**_} I said to the Rotom inhabiting the PokéDex. {_**I've seen your fear, and I want you to know that I pose no harm to you.**_}

"_You don't?_"

"_Koo roo!_" Rowlet replied, seemingly upset with Rotom that it would even think I would try to hurt it.

"_Well, I think you sorta look like a Sceptile. Except you're brown, and you don't have branches on your tail, or seeds on your back...You're sort of like a wilted Sceptile, almost._"

{_**I thought only plants wilted.**_}

"_Well, Sceptile is a Grass-Type Pokémon, like Rowlet, so it technically is part plant._"

A creature that looked like me, but was part plant? This was unfathomable. And Rowlet was part plant, too? I supposed he had a rather woodsy scent about him, and the two leaves just below his facial disk reflected this claim.

"_Although, Sceptile don't have sharp teeth, like yourzzz. and the claws on their hands are shorter, and they don't have that..._"

He looked down at my feet, and I could see the fear growing in his eyes.

"_Giant...four inch...razzzor-sharp dagger for a claw on each foot that you probably use to..._"

I saw him shudder, and I decided that it would be best to remain silent so he would ignore me. It seemed that the Pokémon was still unnerved by me, despite my word that he was safe around me. That brought another question to mind: Would I, for some reason, not qualify to be a Trainer because of my teeth, scales and claws? Only time would tell.

{_**Follow me, Rowlet. Let's catch up to the others.**_}

"_Hoo!_" the bird Pokémon exclaimed, and I began to run to catch up with the humans, the two Pokémon flying behind me.

* * *

_..._

* * *

Was this Iki Town? It was a small area, with simple buildings and worn dirt paths, and the vicinity surrounding the town was densely wooded. I saw a few people here and there around the buildings, and they appeared to be enjoying themselves. This place gave off a nice, homey aura, so I was glad to be here rather than someplace unpleasant like Main Street, where everything had been dark, smelly, cold and bleak, especially with that monster on the loose. I hoped that we weren't anywhere near there.

Some of the smaller, younger humans caught sight of me as we neared the center of the village, and I got mixed reactions; most of them either retreated into the buildings or ran to the safety of their parents, but some of them just stood and stared.

One small boy, no taller than a meter or so, was bold enough to approach me. I humored him with a chuff as I passed by, and I got a small laugh in response.

"Welcome to Iki Town, bud," Hau said to me. "Watch your back; on my turf, we battle my way, heh heh heh..."

Hau lived here? Not much of a surprise, really; a friendly person from a friendly town.

"Hau, do you know where your grandfather's at?"

"He's probably at home. B-R-B!"

Hau made a dash towards a bigger building to the west and ran inside. As we waited for his return, I began to admire my surroundings. The raised wooden platform in the center of the village sparked my interest some, but when I caught sight of the dirt road extending out of the town and into the woods, I was especially intrigued.

{_**I wonder where that leads,**_} I wondered aloud as I began to make my way towards it.

"Curious about Mahalo Trail?" the Professor asked. "It leads up to the Ruins of Conflict, where the people here honor the Guardian Deity of Melemele Island."

The Ruins of Conflict...It sounded much less welcoming than the rest of the area I'd grown familiar with, and I began to have second thoughts about following the trail. I didn't want any sort of conflict except for the typical Pokémon battles the humans and I engaged in.

"_Koo hoo, hoo!_"

Rowlet was flitting about the area, exploring every nook and cranny he could fit himself into. He seemed much more familiar with this territory than I was.

{_**Rotom. Have you ever been here?**_} I chirped.

"_What? Me? Not this place. I've only been here in the Alola region for a week; I was imported here from the Sinnoh region to power the PokéDex._"

{_**Where is Sinnoh?**_}

"_It's really far from here._"

{_**Is Sinnoh your home?**_}

"I...never thought about it much. I was raised in a lab for most of my life, and then with the development of this new PokéDex, I was sent here. They told me that I would like it better travelling with a Trainer instead of being stuck in the research lab all day."

{_**Were they right?**_}

"_Sometimes I miss the lab a little, but I never really got to know anybody there very well; not even the scientists who looked after me. But they're right. I do like being out and about here in Alola._"

{_**I understand,**_} I replied with a nod.

"_Mind if I ask you something now?_"

{_**What?**_}

"_Where did you come from? Like, where do you live?_"

{_**I live in the Paddock.**_}

"_A paddock? What paddock?_"

{_**Just the Paddock. That's what everybody else called it.**_}

"_Well, where's it at?_"

{_**I don't know.**_}

I couldn't answer all of the questions he had, but Rotom certainly knew how to get a conversation going. Maybe he was finally starting to warm up to me. That was what I hoped, at least.

"Hey, you guys, I got him!"

Hau had returned, and I saw a bigger human following behind him, one that was far older than any I'd yet seen. I ducked behind Lillie, not wanting to be a cause for alarm.

"Ah, Professor! Lillie! Nice to see you all here," he greeted. "What brings you to Iki Town? A new Trainer, perhaps? Hau said something about having made a new friend."

"You'd be right. We've brought someone who wants to be an official Pokémon Trainer, and, well...We'd like your say on the matter."

"Hmm...You seem troubled by this ordeal, Professor." His solicitous remark made me uneasy. "Is there an issue with this that I should be made aware of?"

"You could say that. It's the individual herself that might complicate the matter."

"Why ever so?"

"Well, how about I let you see her yourself, and then you can voice your opinion?"

"Sounds just fine? Where is the fine young lass?"

"She's uh...hidden herself behind my assistant, looks like."

Lillie strode to the side, so suddenly that it made me freeze, and revealed me to the Island Kahuna. I instantly saw the astonishment in his eyes.

"...Hau. Is this-"

"Yep. That's her."

I had only just been introduced, and I already felt like this was heading south. Hau stepped beside me a reassuring hand on my back.

"Tutu, this is, uh...Well, she doesn't have a name yet."

I glanced to the side. I was willing to look anywhere except at the Kahuna.

"Looks like she doesn't know what to make of this," the Professor stated. "Well, girl, could you at least show him what you can do?"

He pulled out Rowlet's Poké Ball and gave it to me. I took it in my hand, then cawed for Rowlet. The bird Pokémon heard me from wherever he had gotten to, and he was quick to return.

"Roo?" He waited eagerly for me to give him directions.

{_**Rowlet,**_} I addressed. {_**Shoot your leaves into the air.**_}

He nodded, then flew up into the air and shot a series of glowing leaves up into the skies. The green glow around them began to fade as they climbed higher into the air, and then, finally, the energy within them dispersed, and the leaves began to float back down to the earth. The Island Kahuna was in awe.

I nodded at my Beta, pleased with his move, then I held the ball up, and with a press of the button on the front of it, a beam of red light shot out at Rowlet and sucked him back inside, securing him safely.

"Leafage," the Kahuna marveled. "It...made it use its Leafage attack."

I nodded at the Kahuna, then let Rowlet back out of his ball. With a triumphant hoot, he spun around me and perched on my back.

"Professor...Rowlet obeys this creature?"

"It sure does. They met in the lab after I patched her up, and they've been growing closer and closer ever since."

"Incredible...I've never seen any Pokémon like it."

"That's where it gets even weirder. She's not a Pokemon."

The Kahuna gave the Professor a indiscernible look.

"She's not?"

"Nope. Aura's too low to even let her use simple battle moves, she's typeless and she's completely immune to the effects of Poké Balls."

"Yet, she knows how to use one...If she knows how to use a Poké Ball, then I don't think anything's stopping her from going out into the wild to catch them herself."

"And that's exactly why we're here."

I barked at the Kahuna pleadingly as Rowlet moved to the top of my head. I looked up at my feathered partner; I didn't want to have to lose him.

"So, you want to be a Pokémon Trainer," the Kahuna acknowledged. "I'll tell you what. Has the Professor said anything to you about the Island Challenge?"

I shook "no."

"It's a rite of passage of sorts for blossoming Pokémon Trainers like yourself. You travel to each of the four islands that compose the Alola region, and you partake in the trials given to you by the Trial Captains. These trials are not limited to Pokémon battles; they will also test your wit, skill and strength as an individual. If you really want to train your own Pokémon, then I recommend you partake on this quest, as many other Trainers have done before you."

Now this sounded interesting. A journey to different islands completing tasks, training Pokémon all the while. If Pokémon were involved and available for me to fight and train, then I was game.

"Of course, that's just my say on it. If you'd rather-"

{_**I'll do it!**_} I screamed, and I could feel Rowlet bouncing up and down on me with the same amount of zeal.

"It seems as though you've made up your mind," he chortled. "And since you've already got a partner Pokémon, I'd say you can head out whenever you're ready."

"So, she can train?" Hau checked.

"She can."

I screamed even louder, and the sound echoed throughout the surrounding woods.

"Ho! She's a noisy one, isn't she?"

"I know, right?" Hau replied. "I love it!"

"Pardon me, Mr. Kahuna," Lillie interrupted. "But I'd think we'd have to fill out more of her passport before she'd be eligible."

"You think so?"

"Here, I'll let you see it."

She handed the Island Kahuna my passport, then he turned to the first page and scanned over the information written there.

"I can see where your concern is coming from, Lillie," he acknowledged. "You don't know the creature's name, even?"

"No. She says she doesn't have one '_yet_.'"

"So, she wants to figure that out herself, it seems?"

I nodded.

{_**I'll think of something,**_} I replied, and Rotom translated my garbled chatter.

"Professor, I have one question for you. I noted the bandages she had on her, and I was wondering how well-off the creature is health-wise. You said she had low aura readings. Isn't that a sign of critical condition in Pokémon?"

"You'd be right, but like I said, she's not one. If a Pokémon had aura readings that low for some medical reason, they definitely wouldn't be able to walk around and scream the way she does; they might not even be able to think straight."

"Well, do you at least know what happened to make her like that?"

"Never saw what happened; we just found her that way in front of the lab when we heard her scream. It looks like she was bitten by something more than anything else, though; I pulled some sort of tooth out of one of the puncture wounds around her neck."

"How big was the tooth?"

"Huge. Longer than my index finger. I haven't done a DNA analysis on it yet, though, so I don't know what it came from."

"I see. But it seems like she's healing up just fine, doesn't it?"

"Oh, yeah. I'd say I can remove the bandages in no more than another handful of days. There's some stitch work under there from where I assessed the internal damage, but as long as there isn't any sort of relapse I'd say she'll be good as new in no more than a week."

"That's good to hear. Do you think she'll be at all hindered by the dressings if she decides to go out and train?"

"Dunno. I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

"Hey, guys! Check this out!"

Hau was trying to divert their attention to our two Pokémon, They were rough-housing with each other in a not-so-playful fashion, and I could tell from the look of aggression on Rowlet's face that he meant business with his blue adversary.

"They're rivals already!" he proclaimed.

"Ha! Watch out for that Rowlet of hers, my boy," the Kahuna warned. "Not only for its type advantage, but it looks quite ferocious!"

He was right; Rowlet flipped Hau's Popplio over onto its back and pinned mercilessly onto the dirt ground before opening his wings and readying his Leafage attack.

Surely enough, what happened next earned the bird yet another victory.


	6. Chapter 4: The Second Pack

"Just so everybody knows, the forecast said something about a chance of storms later on tonight," the Professor alerted us all. "So, Hau, I don't think it'd be a good idea to do any night-training with your Popplio tonight."

"Thanks for the heads up, Professor. Catch you guys later!"

Hau made a mad dash back to the village he called home, and my other two human companions made their way back inside. I lingered on the front porch for a few moments, taking in the sweet nighttime air. Far off in the east, out above the ocean, I saw a large mass of grey blotting out the stars dotting the rest of the sky. The sky was just barely light enough for me to make out the rain shafts pouring out below them.

"_Concerned about the stormzzz coming our way?_" Rotom questioned.

{_**As long as we're sheltered, I have nothing to worry.**_}

Me and my sisters usually took shelter in a closed off area in our paddock whenever a storm hit. When we were little, we were scared to death of them; we thought that the crashing noises and bright flashes of light it made would try to break in and kill us. But they never did get to us in our shelter. We had nothing to worry...

I paused, getting a strong sense of deja vu from what I'd just said. Where had I heard that phrase before?

My train of thought came to a halt when I noticed Rotom's unnerving silence. I'd half-expected some reply from him to my remark, but I got none. And I was even further alarmed by the look of distress Rotom had displayed on his screen, gazing out at the storms even more intently than I'd been.

{_**Something's bothering you,**_} I acknowledged. {_**What is it?**_}

"_What? Me? Nothing. Nothing's the matter._"

His response was unnaturally curt, and I knew he wasn't being honest.

{_**You can tell me,**_} I assured, stifling a yawn.

"_It's...stupid. You don't need to worry about it._"

I sighed. His remark had only made me even more curious, but if it was really that insignificant, then I wouldn't push the matter.

"_Roooooo,_" Rowlet yawned.

{_**Ready to go inside, Rowlet?**_}

The bird Pokémon nodded, and both he and the PokéDex followed me through the still open door, down the stairs into the lab and over towards the bookshelf. I bedded down right beside the shelf, Rowlet nudging his way into the crook of my right arm. Rotom positioned himself against the wall facing opposite to my head. Even from the underground lab, and even from so far away, I could still hear the soft rumble of the oncoming storm. It began to bring back memories that had been long-since buried deep inside my psyche, of my home, my routine...

My family.

Would I ever see them again? Were any of them even still alive after what happened on Main Street? I didn't know. I yawned again, opening my mouth wide enough to show off the rows of teeth inside. I saw Rotom shrink back in fear and emit an undignified squeak, and I mentally cursed myself; he'd been just a foot or so away from my razor-lined jaws when I opened them. I turned my head away towards the more trusting Rowlet and shut my eyes. I was beginning to get too tired to think straight at this point, so I thought it best to let the hands of sleep overtake me until morning came.

* * *

_..._

* * *

_Dark._

_Cold._

Scary.

_The unrelenting rain assaulted the ground outside and bombarded the roof of the shelter. The winds howled, working with the rain to try and tear the roof off so they could get to us. And then came the flashes of white light, and the terrible, roaring sound that always followed. I was huddled in the far corner of the shelter, curled up in a tight ball, deathly afraid of the storm's attacks. The flash of light shone again, and no matter how hard I tried, nothing could prepare me for the crash that came afterward._

_It sounded off, and I let out a high-pitched scream, backing even further into the corner I was in. How on earth did Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta sleep through this? Sure, we'd all gone to sleep quite a while before the storm began, but apparently I was the only one who couldn't _stay_ asleep._

_{**Omega?**}_

_It turned out, I wasn't the only one awake at this point. Beta stood over me, a look of concern filling her large, yellow eyes._

_{**Why are you awake?**} I immediately questioned._

_{**I heard you crying, so I came to see why. Are you alright?**}_

_{**I'm fine,**} I fibbed, not wanting to look any more pathetic than I already did. {**Go back to sleep.**}_

_The crash sounded again, and I let out another raspy screech of terror, curling myself up even tighter. Beta bedded down beside me, the concern in her eyes turning to understanding._

_{**What is it, Beta? What does it want?**} I pleaded for the answer._

_{**It doesn't want anything. It's just thunder.**}_

_{**Well, what's thunder?**}_

_{**It's just the sound the lightning makes.**}_

_{**Is the lightning the bright white flashes?**}_

_Beta nodded to my question, then continued her explanation._

_{**The lightning makes the noise to let us know it's coming through.**}_

_{**Well, what does the lightning want?**}_

_{**It wants us to stay inside so we don't get caught in the storm. The lightning knows how dangerous it is, so it warns us. But it's only dangerous if we're outside.**}_

_{**So, we're safe in here?**}_

_{**As long as we're sheltered, we have nothing to worry.**}_

_I began to process what Beta had just told me, and my fear began to fade. I supposed, in a strange way, it was nice of the lightning to want us to be safe. I just wished it could do so some other way._

_The thunder sounded again. This time, the crash came from directly overhead, and it was louder than anything that had come before it. I couldn't help it; I let out yet another scream._

_Beta placed a tender hand on the back of my neck and shifted closer to me so that our sides touched, then lowered her head next to mine and closed her eyes. Her presence alone seemed to slow my rapid heartbeat, so I finally found the ability to relax. Before I shut my eyes, another, softer flash of lightning illuminated the shelter, and the iridescent blue stripe running down Beta's side shimmered. The thunder that followed the flash was slow to come, and instead of a booming roar, it came as a low rumble._

_{**Beta?**}_

_She chuffed in reply._

_{**Why aren't Delta and Gamma nice like you?**}_

_{**I don't know,**} she answered drowsily. {**I'm just...different, I suppose.**}_

_It was a good enough answer for me, so I nuzzled my sister and shut my eyes. Just when I was about to fall asleep, I heard a clicking noise. The familiar scent of Alpha coming from above me filled my nostrils, and I kept my eyes shut._

_"Oh, yeah. That one's a keeper," I heard him say, and I just barely felt the tips of his fingers brush my side as he ran them down Beta's. "Keep takin' good care of her, Blue."_

_I heard Alpha's footsteps as they walked away, back to where he was sleeping before. I__ wasn't scared anymore, especially with Beta sleeping next to me. Besides, Blue would take good care of me, just like he said._

_...Wait. Who was "Blue?"_

_Something clicked. He'd called Gamma a strange name earlier that day; "Charlie." Maybe the humans had different names for us than what we had for each other? I didn't know of any "Blue" that took good care of me, but...Beta sure took good care of me. So then that must mean that the humans called Beta "Blue," just like they called Gamma "Charlie." Interesting. The name they gave Beta made some more sense, seeing the color of the stripes that ran down each of her sides._

_Gamma was Charlie, and Beta was Blue. But, then, what did the humans call me and Delta?_

* * *

_..._

* * *

It wasn't the mighty thunder crash that aroused me from sleep as much as it was the yelp that followed.

My eyes shot open, and I raised my head to look around. What made the noise? Was it Rowlet? I looked down at him; still sound asleep, nestled into the crook of my arm like it was his nest. I nudged him with the tip of my snout, earning nothing more than a small shift of his head. It couldn't have been Rowlet, he was too far into the realm of dreams.

The thunder above sounded again. There was no scream this time, rather a pitiful whimper coming from the corner of the bookshelf facing me. There was Rotom huddled against the wall, eyes covered by his blocky appendages, and shaking like a leaf in the winds outside.

{_**Is the storm scaring you?**_} I chattered, although I already knew the answer to the question.

The PokéDex jumped, letting out another yipe, and turned to face me.

"_Bzzt! __You're awake..._" he acknowledged an awkward fake smile spreading across his screen. "_Ha...Y-you startled me._"

{_**My apologies. But it seemed to me you were more frightened by the thunder.**_}

The face on his screen blushed bright pink with embarrassment, and he covered his face again in shame, emitting a heavy sigh.

"_I didn't want to tell you earlier,_" he admitted. "_I didn't want to make myself look..._"

{_**Pathetic.**_}

"_Yeah. That. And I'm an Electric-Type; most of our attacks have a lot of thunder and electricity involved, so...I really shouldn't be afraid of something stupid like this._"

{_**Have you ever used any of those electric attacks?**_}

"_Well...No. I was lab-raised to power the PokéDex for a Trainer, so they didn't let me battle. They needed me to be more...You know..._"

{_**Docile?**_}

"_Heh. You took the wordzzz right out of my mouth...But that's no excuse for me. I-I've seen Water-Types that could handle some thunder and lightning better than I can. I'm just..._"

He covered his face again and emitted what sounded like a sniffle.

"_I'm just a coward._"

Scared to death of the booming thunder and on the verge of tears, I couldn't help but take pity on the poor Pokémon. I'd been like that once; we were no higher than Alpha's knee the night Blue came to my side when she heard me cry out. She'd been there for me when I needed her.

So I decided to take after my sister's example.

I reached my free arm out and drew Rotom to my side facing the bookshelf. I felt him tremble, so I held him just a little tighter, then curved my neck to the side around him.

{_**You're safe,**_} I reassured. {_**As long as we're sheltered, we have nothing to worry.**_}

"_I know it can't get us in here,_" he informed me. "_But I still can't stand the noise._"

Once again, the thunder crashed, this time right above the lab. This bang in particular even startled me a bit.

"_AH!_"

If I was merely startled, Rotom was terrified. I felt him try to back up even further, though to no avail, since he was already right up against me.

"_I-I'm sorry I had to b-bother you with this,_" he stuttered. Now I was certain I could see tears forming in the corners of his eyes.

{**_You're not bothering me,_**} I promised, then I gave him a small nudge with the tip of my snout. {**_You know, I used to be scared of thunder just as much as you. One night there was a lot, and I screamed every time it sounded off._**}

"_Really?_"

I nodded.

{**_You seem to be handling it a bit better than I did then. I would have screamed all night if my sister hadn't come to my side._**}

"_You have a sister?_"

{**_I have three. But the other two were never nice to me._**}

"_Oh...really?_" He seemed to forget about the thunderstorm a bit. "_Did they have names?_"

{_**Charlie and Delta were the mean ones.**_}

"_Kzzrt! __Charlie and Delta...What'd they look like? Like you, I'm thinking?_"

{_**I believe so. Except...**_}

I looked at my clawed hands; the scales on them were sort of a deep, golden brown, as were my feet and tail. The only obstruction of the brown was the column of indigo-grey stripes running down my tail, right down to the tip. There were probably some on my back, too, though I couldn't see them under the bandages. The pattern and colors were different from what I remembered on my sisters.

{_**Charlie and Delta were more...green. Charlie was the color of the trees, and Delta was darker. She was the color of the ocean, almost.**_}

"_Sea green?_"

I nodded. There was another rumble of thunder above, and the PokéDex barely seemed to take any notice. Perhaps the conversation was doing some good, so I kept going.

{_**Blue was different. Mostly grey, except for the blue stripes she had running down each of her sides. She's the Beta of our pack; she's the strongest, but also the nicest. I don't know what makes her so different from Charlie and Delta. She doesn't pick on me, she doesn't bite me like the others, and she's always there for us whenever we need her.**_}

"_I'm already likin' this Blue character._"

{_**But she wasn't a pushover. If one of us ever acted up, she would put us in our place in a hurry if Alpha wasn't there to do it first.**_}

"_Ooh, what wazz Alpha like?_"

{_**This might sound silly. Will you laugh?**_}

"_I won't. I promise I won't!_"

{_**Our Alpha. The leader of our pack. The biggest and strongest of us. He was...a human, like Lillie and the Professor. He raised us from the day we hatched, and he trained us. We would follow his signals and chase after the prey he and the other humans put in the Paddock.**_}

"_What wazzz it like in the Paddock?_"

{**_It was a closed area, but it was still spacious. Blue and I were content with it, but sometimes Charlie and Delta wanted to see what it was like on the outside, and they would try to break down the gates or jump the walls. They never succeeded in getting out. Until..._**}

"_Until what? What happened?_"

{_**We were all put inside very small rooms. Alpha held up a chunk of some sort of meat for each of us to smell; one we'd never smelled before. The scent seemed to linger in the air, an we realized that the meat had come off of some other creature. One that was outside somewhere, waiting to be found. He wanted us to go find it for him.**_}

"_And were you all let out?_"

{_**Yes. The gates opened, and we followed the scent deep into the forest. I'd never seen Charlie and Delta more happy.**_}

"_So you followed the scent. What did it lead to?_"

{**_It lead...It..._**}

I stopped. What happened when we came to the source of the smell was no less than traumatizing. Did I dare tell the fragile Rotom about the monster and what it had made us all do?

For his sake-and for my own-I decided to be as simple as possible.

{_**Something...bad. It got all of us separated. Blue, Delta and I finally reunited on Main Street, but then...**_}

"_What?_"

{_**We were all thrown in different directions. Blue was slammed against a wall. Hard. Too hard. Delta was thrown into a building, and I thought I heard something explode when she did. I was thrown down the corner of the street. I...landed on the ground, I think, and rolled into another building. I figured it was a lost cause at that point, so I got up and ran away.**_}

"_To where?_"

{_**I...don't remember exactly what happened next. The last thing I remember after that was being on the ground just outside the lab.**_}

"How long ago did that happen?"

{_**Just over a day.**_}

"_Where do you think your sisters and Alpha went?_"

{**_After what happened out there, I wouldn't be surprised if they're all..._**}

I couldn't say it. I could barely even fathom something so tragic.

"_Oh, no._" Rotom caught on to where I was going. "_You mean you think they're...?_"

{_**Dead.**_}

A long silence lingered throughout the lab, and the word repeated itself in my head, over and over. Alpha, Blue, Charlie and Delta; gone forever. Burned, eaten, crushed, blown to smithereens...Dead.

But did I know for sure? I hadn't seen any of them actually die right before my eyes. The last glimpse I got of each of them, they were still living. Even after the monster attacked us, was there, perhaps, the slimmest chance that at least one of them was still alive? Wishful thinking, but I couldn't prove either side to be true.

I felt Rotom's blocky arms wrap themselves around my own. There was a look of sympathy in his large, blue eyes.

"_That'zz...Terrible. I'm so sorry that happened._"

{_**Don't worry about me.**_} I made sure I sounded as strong and as confident as possible, even though my story made me want to cry out in emotional agony. {**_If I survived that fight, it means I'm strong, and I proved them all wrong._**}

"_Hm...Interezzzting mentality._"

{**_And you know something else._**}

"_What's that?_"

{_**You and Rowlet. You've both been sort of...filling the hole my sisters once occupied.**_}

"_We are?_"

I nodded.

{_**The three of us. We...We're a pack now.**_}

"_Really?_" A smile spread across his screen.

{_**Yes. You and Rowlet are my Betas. Together, we'll grow stronger, and stronger, and we'll find more Pokémon so we can make our pack bigger, and we'll become so strong, nobody will be able to tear us down.**_}

"_Soundzzz like a blast! Don't know why I ever doubted you so much, zzt._"

{_**My teeth and claws are to blame for that,**_} I kidded.

A barely audible rumble of thunder sounded from somewhere in the distance, almost completely drowned out by the soft pattering of the rain.

"_Sounds like the storm'zz just about over with. Guess it'll be clearin' up soon._"

{_**Best get some more sleep. We've got a big day tomorrow.**_}

"_Heehee...That should be easier now._"

He nestled a bit more into my arm, not unlike Rowlet, then the mild blue light emitting from his screen faded. I turned my head away and stared up at the ceiling, reflecting on the conversation. I tried to remember what else happened that day.

I hadn't noticed until now that Charlie had been absent at the fight on Main Street, and the last place I'd seen her was in the forest. Did she run away and escape like I did? Did she fall victim to the jaws of the monster? I didn't know. What about Delta? What was the exploding noise I heard upon her impact? And Blue? Blue had been slammed into the wall of the building very hard, but I wasn't sure whether or not it actually killed her. It looked like she was still breathing after the impact; incapacitated, but still breathing. And Alpha? I never saw the monster directly hurt him, even though it tried very hard. Maybe he escaped too.

If, by any chance, I happened to be the sole survivor of the event, I was very lucky. Lucky to have survived, and even luckier to have been healed by the humans, and extremely lucky to have found a new pack in the Pokémon that I'd taken under my command.

And I would be even luckier still if I ever saw any of my packmates ever again.

* * *

_..._

* * *

When the sun finally rose and claimed victory over the clouds, me and my two Pokémon ventured back outside. The Professor and Lillie were out and about already, even though it was barely past dawn.

"Gonna explore some?"

The Professor had followed me out onto the porch. I nodded.

"Just make sure you come back at some point today," he chortled. "Oh, and if you plan on catching any Pokémon, I got some things for ya."

He handed me several empty Poké Balls and...something else strange. It was brown and leathery, and it crumpled up in my grasp. The human saw the confusion painted across my face.

"That's a bag for your stuff, see?" he answered. "You pack things in it, sling it over your shoulders and take a bunch of stuff wherever you want without full hands!"

I decided to try it. I put the bag on the ground, popped the metal buttons open, took the six Poké Balls in my arms and dumped them into the empty sack.

"I know it's not exactly a sight for sore eyes," the Professor continued. "That's one of my old field bags; nothing fancy. But it does its job well, yeah!"

I pulled my arms through the leather straps and let it rest on the top of my back. It was surprisingly lightweight, especially with all of those Poké Balls inside of it. I gave the Professor a chirp of a thanks, hopped over the ledge behind the lab and ran north, my Pokémon following close behind.

I stopped just left of a house. To my right, the dirt road turned to pavement, and the city sparkled in the daylight in the west.

{_**Show me the map, Rotom,**_} I commanded. {_**Where can we find some strong Pokémon to add to the pack?**_}

"_There are some pretty strong Pokémon up on Route 3!_" he informed. "_I hear they attack Trainers all the time from above!_"

{_**Then, let's put them in their place.**_}

I turned right, passed the house and found myself facing a rather steep incline. I continued to ascend up the path, and made a clean leap over a patch of tall grass, fearing it might be hiding more of those nasty brown and white Pokémon. They knew how to fight, but seeing how well Rowlet had done fighting against them showed that they probably weren't very strong, and, therefore, not worthy of being pack members. The grass thinned as the path grew rockier, and at the height of the path, there were large, brown rocks and thin passages; an interesting place. Shadows loomed overhead; I looked up and saw more odd-looking bird Pokémon. One of them apparently caught sight of me, as it swooped down, landed in front of us and displayed its flight feathers in a threatening fashion.

"_Ru-kaw!_" it squawked, fluffing out the large, poofy crest of feathers on its head.

{_**Rotom,**_} I chirped while pulling out Rowlet's Poké Ball. {_**What kind of Pokémon is this?**_}

"_Allow me!_"

He circled the odd bird, then returned to me, displaying a picture of the Pokémon on his screen.

"_Rufflet: the Eaglet Pokémon! Known as a natural-born warrior, it will challenge its parent to a fight in order to gain their acceptance!_"

A natural-born warrior? Sounded like a worthy opponent, so I thought it would be worth my time to catch it. I sent out Rowlet, and he let out an aggressive hoot.

{_**Rowlet. Tackle.**_}

The round bird slammed himself into the opponent with blinding speed. Now the creature was mad; it gave Rowlet a wicked glare.

"_Bzzt! It'zz using Leer!_"

{_**Tackle again, Rowlet!**_}

Rowlet looked like he was going to slam into the Rufflet again with his whole body, but when the Grass-Type's beak began to glow white, I knew something new was happening.

Rowlet raised his head just before the impact and slammed his beak into the enemy's abdomen, sending it flying into one of the nearby rocks.

"_A new attack! He learned Peck!_"

This new Peck attack Rotom spoke of was apparently a very strong move. Rufflet fell back onto the ground, completely dazed by both the attack and the crash.

I pulled out a Poké Ball so I could capture the Rufflet, but just before I was about to throw it, the creature stood back up, let out a nasty hiss and flew away.

{**_Hey, wait! Come back! I want to make peace!_**}

Rufflet simply glared down at me from above before disappearing. He didn't want to join us, even though we'd beat him fair and square?

I figured that if he didn't want to join our pack, then he wasn't as worthy as I'd first made him out to be, so I continued; maybe I would find something better.

As I continued, I found a patch of grass obstructing the barren terrain, just at the edge of a small cliff. Maybe I would get lucky and find something other than those nippy Pokémon.

I began to make my way towards the grassy area, and when I started making the left turn, I saw a human; he was clad in green, and was tossing a Poké Ball in one of his hands. Was he another Trainer? Could I try to battle him, maybe? Would I actually get the chance to battle him, or would he scream and run away in terror upon seeing me?

Only one way to find out.

I barked to get his attention. The human turned around to face me excitedly. Sure enough, when he saw me, he jumped back.

"Yo, what!? What are you!?"

I showed off Rowlet's Poké Ball, and my partner Pokémon fluttered onto my head and let out hoot to challenge him before hopping off and assuming menacing pose before him.

"You're...You're a Trainer?"

I nodded.

"And you want to fight me with your Rowlet?"

I nodded again, this time more vigorously.

"Uh...Well...Alright, then. Let's see what you got. Go get 'em, Psyduck!"

He threw his own Poké Ball, and out came another odd bird-like creature. It actually didn't resemble a bird much at all; It did have feathers, but it also had sorry excuses for wings, as well as very large eyes and an extremely large, rounded bill. Not to mention its awkward, webbed feet, as opposed to Rowlet's small and nimble talons. It's unfamiliarity made me wonder what kind of attacks it would use.

{_**Any tips, Rotom?**_}

"_You have a type-advantage! Psyduck's a Water-Type! Rowlet's a Grass-Type! Leafage will be super effective!_"

{_**Good call. Rowlet! Use Leafage!**_}

Rowlet flew into the air and readied to aim his glowing leaves at the opponent.

"Psyduck! Use Tail Whip!"

The yellow Pokémon turned around and began to wag its stubby tail. I saw Rowlet's confused expression from above.

{_**Don't let down your guard, Rowlet! Attack!**_}

Rowlet shook his head to regain his concentration, then fired his leaves. They did a number on the Psyduck, but it was still standing when the leaves cleared.

"Water Gun!"

The opponent shot a stream of water out of its mouth at Rowlet. It hit the Grass-Type, but it didn't seem to do much in the way of damage.

{_**Try your Peck attack!**_}

Rowlet stooped into a dive, his beak glowing an intense white, then slammed himself right into the center of the Psyduck's head.

"Scratch, now! While he's close!"

Psyduck responded to the impact with a furious slash of its small, yet surprisingly sharp claws. Rowlet fell backward and landed in front of me. He looked somewhat battered, but he wasn't giving up yet.

{_**One more Leafage should do it, Rowlet,**_} I told him. {_**Make your final move your greatest.**_}

Rowlet gave me a confident smirk and nodded. He flew back into the air, then shot so many leaves out it was difficult to keep track of them all, and they began to kick up dust as they bombarded both Psyduck and the ground around it. When the dust finally cleared, it revealed the enemy Pokémon; collapsed and abstinent. We'd won.

"_Hoo, koo hoo!_" Rowlet hooted victoriously.

"Heh..." The Trainer returned Psyduck to it's ball. "Not bad. I thought we could take on your Rowlet since it had a lower level than my partner here, but, I guess you showed us who was boss."

I extended one of my scaly hands in greeting, and, to my satisfaction, he met me halfway.

"Name's Ian. Yours?"

I chittered nervously; I had no answer to that question yet.

"Ah, it don't matter. I gotta go take my Psyduck to the Pokémon Center. See you 'round!"

He ran in the opposite direction. I was surprised at just how friendly everyone was to me here, despite my supposedly menacing appearance. It was nice to know I could trust the people here. It was nice to know that they trusted me.

{**_Come along, you two. Let's see about that grassy patch._**}

"Koo...Roo?"

Just before I stepped into the grass, I paused and took a better look at my bird Pokémon. He was breathing heavily, and the place where Psyduck had scratched him across the face was rather obvious. It was then that I began to have second thoughts about having him battle whatever we found in there, at least not until he had a period of rest.

{_**Alright, Rowlet. Let's take a-**_}

"_Lu-CHA!_"

Before I could finish, something cried out from behind me, crashed into me and pinned me onto my side. I opened my eyes to meet those of whatever creature was holding my head down. It was smaller than me, but more than double the size of Rowlet, and it was leaner and more robust than my round, pudgy partner. It sported flashy red, green, white and orange plumage, and its black and gold eyes gave off an intense, angry glare. It stared into my gaze, and I stared right back.

"_Ruche..._" it growled, apparently satisfied with having pinned me down so easily.

I wasn't about to give up so easily. I began to growl myself, and the growl turned into a snarl, which turned into a screech. I surprised the Pokémon for a moment with my loud noise, and I seized the opportunity to fling it off of my face and push myself back onto my feet. It flipped backwards off of me and stood its ground, beating its small clawed fists together; it wanted to challenge me, and I accepted.

I screamed at it again, and came at it with full force. The Pokémon flew into the air, and readied an aerial attack. I braced myself for the impact and readied to open my jaws; if I got the creature in my teeth I could take it by surprise.

"_Koo, ROO!_"

Rowlet came between us just at the last second and hit the Pokémon with Peck. It was thrown back into the grass by the attack.

{_**Rowlet, you need rest,**_} I urged. {**_If you fight anymore, you'll-_**}

He didn't care. As the other Pokémon rose from the grass again, the two began to stand off. The taller one made a menacing fighting pose, then began to charge. Rowlet braced himself, then, just before the enemy could perform any moves, he slammed into it with another Peck attack. The Peck seemed to be doing a lot of damage to the limber opponent, as it looked as though it was beginning to wear itself out.

{_**What is that thing, Rotom?**_}

"_Scanning...Scanning..._"

His screen flickered as the battle between the two birds continued.

"_Scan complete! Hawlucha: the Wrestling Pokémon! It fights by using its profound speed to attack its opponents' blind spots. But sometimes it showboats too much when using a special move and gets itself into a pinch!_"

The Hawlucha was flitting about the air, making impressive fighting poses and taunting caws. Rowlet seemed like he was getting annoyed, as well as even more worn from excessive battle.

The enemy continued to flaunt its speed and agility; it seemed so absorbed with its act, I didn't think it would even notice if I...

That's when the idea hit me. I reached back into my bag and pulled out one of the Poké Balls the Professor had supplied me with. The creature was moving fast, so I either had to aim just right, or get Rowlet to weaken it a bit more, just enough to slow it down. I knew Rowlet was getting tired out, but if I wanted to catch this thing and put it in its place, I had little choice.

{_**Peck! One more time!**_}

Rowlet fired up his beak and readied a pounce. The Hawlucha had landed for a brief moment to rub its claws together, as though to sharpen them. My partner took the chance and ran full force at the opposing Pokémon, sending it flying into the air, stunned.

I took the chance when I had it, too. I threw the capsule while the enemy was still airborne, and it hit its target precisely before trapping it. The Poké Ball fell to the ground and began to wobble.

Once.

Twice.

Three times...

Stay in, stay in, stay in...

It clicked.

And then, it sat there as still as a rock.

I caught it.

To make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me, I stepped toward the ball and picked it up. I sniffed it; I could smell the Pokémon inside.

"_Hey, you actually did it, partner! Congratzzz on your first capture!_"

"_Koo roo, koo roo!_" Rowlet cheered, despite his fatigue.

"_You know, if you want, you can give that Hawlucha you caught a nickname!_"

{_**Pokémon can have nicknames, too?**_}

"_Well, yeah! A lot of Trainers do it! I mean, it's not a requirement, but it's fun to give your Pokémon names!_"

I released my new pack member from his spherical containment. He shook the dust off of his feathers and looked up at me.

"_Lucha?_" He wore a defeated, yet curious look on his face. He was certainly a strong fighter, so it must have been a surprise to him that I'd been able to use a Poké Ball on him. I decided to give him some credit for his effort by giving him a strong-sounding name. What was something about him that I could turn into a name?

He brushed some more dust off of his right wing with the clawed hand on the other, and the pristine, red feathers on the wing shone clean again. It was an intimidatingly bright color.

That was it. That's what his name should be.

{_**Your name,**_} I announced to my new packmate. {_**Is Red.**_}

Red. Like his feathers. Like the dawn. Like blood. It sounded strong, so it sounded perfect. He seemed to agree, as he showed me another one of his satisfied smirks.

"_Ooh, going for the 'naming after colors' thing, huh? Interesting!_"

{_**It's not bad?**_}

"_Far from it! Besides, didn't you say you had a sister named Blue? It's sort of like paying tribute, am I right?_"

"_Rucha. Lu, ru-cha HAW!_""

{_**What'd he say, Rotom?**_}

"_Um...Since you won the battle against him, he will 'allow you' to train him so that he can be strong enough to defeat you one day._"

He made a sorry attempt at making quotations with his fingerless "hands," as he answered my question. I saw red hold back a laugh, but he was good enough to keep it in.

"_Say, how about we stop at the Pokémon Center? It's just west of here, and Rowlet needs the rest now more than ever._"

I looked down at my partner; he looked especially worn out after having battled Red.

{**_Now would be the best time. Lead the way._**}

We continued down the dirt road, and the path ahead turned green again. As we went, I reflected back on my success at a Pokémon capture; hopefully, Red would prove to be a valuable new asset to the team. And now that there were four of us, we were beginning to look less like a small group and more like an actual pack. Four of us, just as there had been four of me and my sisters.

But this time, it was different. I wasn't the lowly Omega like I'd been back in the Paddock; now, of all things, I was Alpha. And my pack members weren't just compliant, but also pleasant to be around, unlike my sisters, with Blue having been the one exception. Even Red, who I had just barely begun to know, seemed well-meaning with his compliance to stay with us, despite the roughness he'd displayed so far. Everything seemed to be going very smoothly. I was happy; so much so that almost nothing bothered me.

Except, of course, those few questions I kept in the back of my mind that I still wanted the answers to.

What was my name?

What was _I_, exactly?

Where was my old home and my old family?

And what really happened to them?


	7. Chapter 5: The Outing

{_**This is the place?**_}

"_Yep! It's the Pokémon Center, alright, bzzt!_""

It certainly reflected its purpose. The building was red and white, just like a Poké Ball, and it even had a picture of one just above the door. I stepped closer to the entry way, and the doors opened by themselves, allowing me to enter. I was instantly greeted by a new assortment of smells and sights, like the sight of several other Trainers and their different Pokemon, a lot of which I had yet to find out the identity of, and a rather sweet scent coming from the left side of the building. As tempted as I was to finding out what was emitting that mesmerizing aroma, I knew my top priority was to get Rowlet (and Red for that matter) properly healed so that they would be ready for their next battle, whenever the opportunity struck again. I gave off a bark to alert everybody to my presence, and, as expected, every eyebrow in the room raised upon the mere sight of me.

I didn't blame them, though. Right now, I didn't care much what they thought. I puffed out my chest and strutted confidently to the front desk, where there was a female human clad in white and pink.

{_**Now what?**_} I questioned my PokéDex in a low, quiet growl.

"_Now you give her your Poké Balls,_" he rasped. "_She'll do the rest._"

Seemed simple enough. I dug the occupied capsules out of my bag and placed them on the desk before the human. She barely seemed to notice; her eyes were wide and unblinking, and they seemed to be scanning over me with a sense of confusion and dread.

I cocked my head in confusion, then motioned my snout toward the Poké Balls on the counter I wanted her to handle, pushing them slightly closer to her. This time, she got the memo.

"You...want me to heal your Pokémon?"

She put heavy emphasis on the word "your," as though she didn't believe they were actually, legitimately mine. Nonetheless, I nodded.

"Um...Al-alright. Let me see them for a moment."

She took the two Poké Balls in her hands and placed them both in some sort of odd machine she had with her behind the counter. An image of each of the Pokémon I had inside of them flashed on the screen above it, then the screen flickered, and then it went blue again.

"Well, they're fully healed now," she told me, placing the Poké Balls back on the counter before me. "But may I ask-"

I was too eager to see my Pokémon again to acknowledge her question; I tossed each capsule, releasing both of my feathered companions.

"_Roo!_"

"_Cha!_"

They seemed just as excited to see me again, and any sign of them having partook in battle had vanished; the scratches on Rowlet's face were gone, and Red seemed to be in a more agreeable mood. Rowlet flitted about playfully, and Red ruffled his feathers and stood beside me, putting on a more dignified act.

"They...seem to really like you," the human commented. "They really belong to you?"

I gave another nod as my answer.

"I didn't think Pokémon could qualify as Trainers. Erm...What kind of Pokémon are you, anyway?"

{**_Rotom, you know what to say._**}

"_She's not one,_" he replied in my position. "_The Professor did some DNA tests, and it turns out she's something different._"

"Professor Kukui, you mean?"

"_Exzzactly! We've been hanging out at the lab for a few days now so he can look more into things!_"

"Interesting. And...You're one of those rare new PokéDexes I've been hearing about from the Sinnoh region?"

"_That's right! I serve as my holder's digital Pokémon encyclopedia, map, and in this case, her translator, zzt!_"

"Fascinating! Does the Professor know that she's out and about?"

I gave a nod in response.

"Well, if, in any case, you're needing to get back to him, then I won't keep you. We hope to see you again!"

I turned away and headed back outside. It was about time I made my way back to the lab. The longer, unfamiliar road to my right caught my attention; Could I get back to the lab by taking the path that ran south and lead to human civilization?

{_**Rotom. Is there a way back to the lab through the city?**_}

"_There sure izzz! But it's longer than the way we came here. You sure you don't want to go back down Route 3?_"

I nodded.

{_**I'd like to get to know the place. Besides, I don't want to be attacked by any more Rufflets.**_}

"_Good point. Well, you're the boss!_"

I turned west, then, with a kick of my legs, bolted down the dirt path. My feet kicked up dust and left it scattering in the air behind me, the air hit my face like a splash of cold, refreshing water, and my eyes were focused on nothing but what lie directly ahead; everything else was a blur.

It dawned on me that, after what had happened when me and my sisters were let out of the Paddock, I had forgotten how great it felt to run.

Finally, I slowed my gait to a halt once the gritty dirt just in front of me turned to solid pavement. As much as I knew I had reached my destination, a part of me still wanted to keep running, just for the fun of it. I felt like I was going so fast I had made it to the city within a matter of seconds.

That was when I wondered..._Had_ I actually reached the city in no more than a matter of seconds?

"_Holy zzrt! That was incredible!_"

It sounded like Rotom was ninety miles behind me. I turned around; maybe he wasn't that far away, but there was still a decent stretch in between me and him, even as he came closer.

"_My...My sensors indicate that..." he huffed between breaths. "They indicate that your top speed back there reached 36 milezzz per hour! It could have been even faster that that; you went out of my range halfway here!"_

{_**Is 36 a lot?**_}

"_The fastest recorded human speed is less than 28! 36 is pretty darn fast! Were you running at top speed?_"

{_**I don't think so. I just ran for the sake of it.**_}

"_Wow...I can only imagine how fast you are when you're really putting in all your effort! Bzzt! You're a speed machine!_"

I showed off a smile; never had I received a compliment for my speed. I was actually said to be the slowest compared to my three siblings back when we all lived at the Paddock. And now, all of a sudden, I was a "speed machine?" My new Alpha position seemed to be getting better and better every minute.

I took a step onto the black pavement; the late morning sun was beginning to heat it. A pleasant sensation at the moment, but with it still being somewhat early in the day, I knew it would only get hotter as time progressed, and the last thing I wanted was to go back to the lab with the bottoms of my feet burned.

_Better not make this take too long,_ I reminded myself as I restarted my trek.

I passed another Pokémon Center, then another fork in the road. I headed south; even if it looked like I would have to turn back around the way I came to get back to the lab from there, I was probably still fast enough to do so while also avoiding the eventual midday heat.

The minute I made the turn, I began to smell something; it reminded me somewhat of the scent I'd caught a whiff of inside the Pokémon Center, though it was just a tad weaker and quite a bit sweeter. I couldn't recall ever smelling anything like those two things, but for some reason, I knew for sure what I was.

It was _food._

I was suddenly ravenous, having forgotten that the Professor had never given me a helping of meat before I left. I smacked my jaws, put my nose to the ground and began to follow the scent down the street. Past the fork, past a fairly large building and right into...

"Hey!"

I felt my head collide with something. The "something" turned out to be a pair of human legs. The person stumbled forward from the impact, then turned around to face me.

Immediately, the human's frustration melted into pleasant surprise.

{_**Hau?**_}

"Oh, it's you!" he exclaimed, reaching out to vigorously rub up and down my snout. "What's up, eh? You trackin' somethin' down with that sniffer of yours?"

I nodded, then sniffed again to relocate the scent. Now it was coming from almost directly to my left. I looked in that direction to see a building, and I could tell that the smell was coming from somewhere inside of it.

"Oh, ho ho ho!" Hau smirked. "You smell _that_, do you?"

I gave another nod coupled with a hungry craw.

"That, my friend, is the Malasada shop. Once you step foot in there, you won't ever want to come back out. These places are dotted all over the Alola region, but the malasadas made right here on Melemele taste the best out of any of them."

I felt my mouth begin to water, and I ran my deprived tongue along my chaps.

"Come on, I'll get us some. My treat."

I eagerly followed him up to the door. The moment I stepped inside, the sweet scent became sweeter and stronger than ever. Hau was right; I probably would have stayed there for a while if I hadn't have had plans to get back to the lab by the heat of the day.

"Lemme order the goods and then we can take a seat and dig in. You step back and let an old pro show you how it's done."

I nodded in agreement, and watched as my human friend stepped up to the left of the front counter, where another one was standing.

"Was'sup, padre?"

"Ah, Hau, good to see you 'round! What can I get'cha?"

"Do me a solid and whip us up a couple of Sweet Malasadas; one for me and one for my scaly friend here."

Hau motioned to me, and the clerk was quick to spot the large, brown, scaly creature standing behind him.

"Oh, wow. Never seen any Pokémon like that one before. She yours?"

"No, actually. And she's no Pokémon, according to the Professor."

"...Are you serious?"

"As a matter of fact, she's a Trainer herself. Apparently, she figured out how to work a Rowlet's Poké Ball and now it's her partner. Looks like she's even got a bag now and everything."

"That's...nuts."

"At least it's just as cool as it is that."

"If she's not a Pokémon, then what is it?"

"No idea. Not even the Professor knows yet."

The clerk tried to look me in the eye, and my own eyes began to dart all over the place just to avoid contact with the human's.

"Looks like she's got herself one of those fancy new PokéDexes, too, huh?"

"Oh, yeah. The Professor let her have it to see how well she interacted with it."

"And how's that going?"

"_Ooh, fine so far! Rowlet and I are the Betas!_"

"'Betas?'"

"Yeah, you know, like in a pack of Zoroark. You got the Alphas leading the pack, then the Betas rank second, then you-"

"Oh, oh, okay, I get it. Ah...Well, I won't hold up the line anymore than I have to. Two Sweet Malasadas comin' right up."

"Great. Alright, pal, let's find ourselves a seat."

He picked a table for two-one that was fairly close to the front counter-and sat himself at the far end.

"Yeah, go on and take the other one. This is the best table; since its so close to the counter, the grub gets here faster. Plus, I figured you'd probably have some trouble fitting in a booth. You're tail's kinda big, so I didn't think it'd fit."

I squeezed in between the table and the stool and sat myself down, Rotom sitting himself on the top of my head. I looked over my shoulder; Hau was right. My tail nearly reached to the edge of the small wall that separated us from another seating area. Was it wrong to feel self-conscious about something that I had always considered normal? Maybe it was because I was the only one of my kind in this place, and since most of the humans seemed so accepting, I'd sort of forgotten just how different I was from them. Hau was the best so far, though; I thought that he was the best human being I'd ever met, except for maybe Alpha. But most of my memories of Alpha were shrouded in some sort of mental fog, and it felt as though they were just out of reach, so I couldn't really compare the two.

In all honesty, however, I didn't think there would be much of a difference.

"Here comes the grub! Prepare to feast!"

The waiter placed a round, golden brown object in front of each of us.

"Alright. Come to papa!"

I sniffed mine; the white powder that was sprinkled over it made its way into through my nose and made it itch. I instinctively turned my head away from the table and sneezed, and the white powder flew out of my nostrils in the form a white cloud.

"Oh, yeah. Be careful with the powdered sugar. It tastes pretty good, but it's not cool to get it up into your sinuses."

The waiter left, and Hau took the malasada in his hands and dug into it like he hadn't eaten in days.

_Must be good,_ I said to myself.

I didn't see the need to take the treat in my hands; my neck was already long enough for me to reach down and grab it. So I bent my head down and grabbed the edge of the malasada in my front teeth, then tilted my head back, readying to slide it down my throat.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold your Horseas!"

Hau's sudden abruptness startled me so much I ended up dropping the malasada on its side, and it would have rolled off of onto the floor if Hau hadn't made a swift motion forward to grab it and place it back on the table. His surprised expression was concerning; had I done something wrong?

"Uh, heh...Sorry I scared you," he apologized, releasing the malasada from his grasp. "You don't just scoff it down if one gulp like that. If you do, ya don't taste it."

I wasn't sure I believed this. I'd always eaten this way, ripping off chunks of our kill and slipping each piece down my gullet, and I was still able to taste what I ate. Different prey had different flavors. Did the humans eat in a different manner than me and my sisters did? The malasada appeared small enough to swallow whole without having to tear pieces off. Was there something wrong about this?

"Here, lemme show you. Ya bite off small pieces and chew 'em; that's how you get the flavor out of it. Like this, watch."

And so he demonstrated; took another bite out of his and crushed it up with his teeth.

"You know, on second thought..." His voice was barely comprehendible with his mouth stuffed with malasada. "In your case two bites might do, because you got a bigger set o' chompers than I do. If you bite too small, it might not be enough-" He swallowed. "-to actually taste."

I guessed I might as well give it a shot, so I took the treat in my claws, then, with my very front teeth, tore about half of it off. Using my tongue, I moved it towards my back teeth and crushed it up.

My eyes widened.

My senses peaked.

My taste buds tingled.

I swallowed.

Once back when I lived with my sisters, an odd creature was released into the Paddock. It wasn't much smaller than us; brown and white, with four thin legs and two, branching horns on its head. We made quick work of it, and I was lucky enough to be the first one to get to its side, where all of the juicy, tender meat was. I had never tasted anything quite as good as the dark meat of that strange creature.

Until now.

I snatched up the other half of the malasada and did the same, this time with more haste, then emitted a pleased caw. It was the best thing I ever put in my mouth.

"I told you they were that good! I'd getcha another one, but after I pay for this, I'm gonna be flat broke. Good news is, you get cash from batting other Trainers, and you can use that cash to buy stuff. Healing Potions for your Pokémon, more Poké Balls from the PokéMart in the Pokémon Center, and of course fantastic food like this."

I never understood the concept of trade; to me and my siblings, we took what we wanted when we wanted it, if we could get our hands on it. I didn't know how I ended up waking up knowing the names of so many things, or understanding human language, or grasping new concepts that I had no idea existed before, but I did.

And I was glad that I figured out that you can't always get something for nothing.

Understanding this, I felt obliged to repay my human friend. But how? I had nothing to give him...did I?

"Hey, don't sweat it," Hau assured me, apparently having saw the guilt in my eyes. "I wanted to do this for ya; that's what friends are for, right?"

I nodded, though I still felt somewhat ashamed.

"Sit tight. I gotta go pay and then we can head out."

It took no more than a matter of seconds for him to finish at the front desk, and when he did, he motioned for me to follow him back outside. We left the building, and the late morning sun shone down onto us. I blinked uncomfortably as the bright light poured into my eyes; the heat wasn't unbearable yet, but it was getting close.

"Yeah guess we should be heading back down to Route 1 now; getting kinda hot out here, and I promised my grandfather I'd be back by noon. You're still hangin' at the lab, right?"

I nodded.

"Alright, then. What's say I walk you back there?"

{_**I'd like that,**_} I replied with another nod. {_**Your input, Rotom?**_}

"_Zzzz...Huh? What? Oh...Sorry. I guess I must have dozed off for a second. What were you saying? He's gonna take us back to the lab?_""

{**_That's right._**}

"_Well, I don't have any problem with it. Whatever floatzzz your boat._"

"Well, well, well. What have we got here?"

The unfamiliar, slimy voice came from not far behind us. We turned to face whoever said it; there were _two_ other humans, actually, both wearing black and white, and both with bandanas over their faces, as though to remain anonymous.

"_Uh-oh,_" the PokéDex squeaked as it flitted behind me.

"Yo, why don't you throw us a bone and hand over the Poké Balls?" one of them said.

"Not you guys again," Hau grumbled. "Don't you have anything better to do than _pillage people's Pokémon?_"

"Oh, you think this is funny, do ya?" the other one sneered. I was beginning to get the impression that Hau knew these people-and didn't like them very much. "Well, Mr. Funny Man, believe it or not, jokin' around with us is just gonna send you cruisin' for a bruisin'."

I stepped back a ways behind Hau; I didn't want to get pulled into this unless it actually turned dangerous.

"You honestly think that's a good idea? If the Kahuna finds out you-"

"Oh, so you think you're all that just because he's your gramps, huh? You think he's gonna come runnin' over to beat us down if we don't step off?"

"Listen, kid. We can do this the easy way or we can do it the hard way."

The two strange humans began to close in around him, flashing a threatening gaze in their beady eyes.

"We know you got yourself one o' them fancy-shmancy partner Pokémon," the second one acknowledged. "Hand it over and you get to go home without a scratch."

"And if I don't?"

There was a pinch of nervousness in Hau's voice, but it looked like he was going to stand his ground for as long as was necessary.

"We ain't foolin'; the hard way's gonna end up with you gettin' wrecked."

"Heh heh...Come on, fellas, take it easy. You guys don't want to end up doin' something you'll regret, do you?"

"We got news for ya, kid."

The first one beat his fists together and began to close in even more.

"Team Skull don't regret nothin'. _Ever_."

And that was when I realized.

These people weren't like Lillie, or the Professor or Hau, or any of the others I'd seen and met so far.

These humans were _bad._

Okay, this was it; it was time for me to butt in.

I swiftly pushed myself in between Hau and the offenders, letting out a threatening hiss at the latter. The two humans were taken aback, just as I expected, and just as I'd hoped.

"Yo, hey! Yo...What _is_ that?"

"You think imma know?"

"I dunno, homie. Some freak that crawled out of the sewers?"

"Well, it's a freak, fo-shizzle."

"I'll handle this one, yo."

The first human pulled out a Poké Ball and chucked it at my chest. It hit me, then clattered to the ground. The Professor was right when he had stated that they had no effect on me.

"You kiddin' me?

"Guess it belong to Malasada Man."

"Why don't you do us a solid and hand us this one's ball, too?"

"Oh, she's not mine; she's not even a Pokémon."

"You pullin' my funny bone again!?"

"Yo, looks like we're gonna have to settle this the old-fashioned way: with a full on Pokémon Battle!"

"Sounds good to me, fellas. Have fun at the Pokémon Center. Because my bud here's gonna help me out."

Hau motioned motioned to me, and I suddenly felt like I looked a lot less intimidating.

"That scaly, scar-faced freak o' nature!? We'll see about that."

"Yeah, why don't you show off your Popplio? Then we'll know how to put the mutt to use."

"Trash-talkin' my friend AND my partner? Oh, ho, ho. Now you're in for it. Popplio! Teach these thugs a lesson!"

Hau dug out his partner's Poké Ball and released the little blue Pokémon. It growled angrily at the two opponents.

"Zubat! Let's do this!"

"Alright, Yungoos, let's check these fools!"

The masked called out their own Pokémon; one was a small, blue, flying creature with big ears, and it didn't look like it had any eyes. The second was one of those nasty brown and yellow Pokémon that I'd grown accustomed to battling.

"_Chiiir!_"

"_HSSSSS!_"

"Go on, bud! Call out your Rowlet! This'll be easy if we take 'em on together!"

I had a better idea. I pulled out one of my Poké Balls and released my fighter of choice.

"_CHA!_" Red squawked upon his emergence, striking a pose.

"Whoa-ho-ho-ho! When did you catch a Hawlucha!? That's awesome!"

"And it'll be even more awesome when it belongs to Team Skull," one of the enemies taunted. "Zubat, hit 'em with your Supersonic!"

"Yungoos! Tackle!"

"Alright, Popplio, use Water Gun!"

{_**Red. Show me what you can do.**_}

The Wrestling Pokémon turned back to me, nodded in understanding, then proceeded to sharpen his foreclaws. Meanwhile, the water spraying from Popplio's nose slammed into the Zubat, and the Supersonic waves emitted from the flying Pokémon just barely missed its target, and the Yungoos began to charge at Red.

One of my Hawlucha's clawed hands began to emit a scarlet glow, then just as the Yungoos was about to make impact, it was batted away with the glowing, spinning, outstretched claws. The attack nearly caused the biting Pokémon to faint.

We were off to a good start.

"He knows Karate Chop, eh? Not bad, pal."

{_**One more hit like that should do it!**_} I ordered. {_**Karate Chop, one more time!**_}

"Yungoos, mess 'em up with another Tackle!"

The enemy Pokémon bore its teeth and tried to straighten itself out, but Red had already fired up his second attack, and was quick to launch it into the Yungoos' face. It's long body rolled toward its Trainer, then halted just a foot away from his feet, completely senseless.

"Zubat! You still got some left in ya! Astonish!"

The tiny Pokémon zipped through the air right into Popplio's face, then bit it on the top of the head with its sharp, white front fangs whilst emitting a terrible, high-pitched screeching noise.

{_**Red! One more Karate Chop!**_}

"_No, wait! That'll barely do anything! It's a Poison and Flying-Type! Double rezzzistant to Fighting-Type moves!_"

I turned my head to look at my PokéDex.

{_**Well, does he know any moves besides Karate Chop?**_}

"_I saw him use Hone Claws at the beginning of the fight! It increased both Attack and Accuracy, but even with the boost, Karate Chop won't do much! Maybe Red knows Wing Attack! Try that!_"

{_**I'll take your word. Red! Hit the Zubat with Wing Attack!**_}

"Fire up another Water Gun, Popplio! We got this thing right where we want it!"

Hau's Popplio shot another blast of water from its pink nose at the Zubat, and Red flew into the air, then stooped into a dive, his wings glowing white. First the enemy Pokémon was pelted with water, and then Red's small, yet powerful wings came crashing down on top of it. The Zubat's membranous wings ceased to flap, and it fell to the ground, tongue hanging out of its mouth. The two Trainers looked stunned.

"You kiddin' me!?"

"Whadaya call this?!"

I let out a snarly laugh at their loss as Hau and I returned our fighters to their Poké Balls.

"Yo, forget the battle," the first one scoffed, beating his fists again. "Take me on, Scarface!"

"Yeah, you can't beat my homie, his fists are like fire! You just try!"

He wanted to battle against _me_, now? Interesting...Sometimes, I liked to pick fights with my sisters to see if I could climb the ranks; I usually ended up being defeated, but since I'd never actually fought a human in this matter before, I decided to give it a shot. I shook my head and tapped the claws on my feet.

"Wait, you're actually gonna fight that guy?" Hau questioned, and I gave him a nod in response.

"Yo, give this freak a knuckle sandwich."

My opponent began to run at me. I looked down ay my hands; the thin, black claws at the tip of each finger shone in the sunlight.

"_Go for the head,_" a voice whispered inside of my mind. "_Go for the head; it'll be quick and easy._"

Just when the human was within striking distance, and about to throw his first punch, I raised my arm, then, with a high-pitched screech, swiped my claws right across the left-hand side of his hidden face.

An agonized scream followed.

The human fell to his knees, pressing his hands down on the wound I inflicted. The black and white bandana had been torn, and the black fabric around the tear was beginning to run crimson. Some of the blood ran down the side of his face and dripped onto the pavement.

{_**Wow,**_} I exclaimed aloud. {_**That was easier than I expected.**_}

"Why...you little..." he hissed in between breaths, attempting to cast me a glare.

The other one's eyes were filled with horror, and he lifted his fellow troublemaker back up onto his feet, pushed him along past us, then stared me dead in the eye as they approached the street corner.

"You ain't seen the last of Team Skull, Scarface," he threatened. "Once the boss gets word of this, he'll hunt you down like a Rockruff of a Meowth."

After saying this, he turned and fled with his defeated partner in crime.

"Dude..."

I turned to Hau, excitedly shaking my tail, expecting him to be happy I saved him, and proud that I'd finally emerged victorious in a fight after so many years of defeat prior. Instead, he just looked...

Stunned.

"You just...Attacked that guy."

Wasn't that what I was supposed to do? I looked down at the hand I'd swiped him with; his blood was running down to the tips of my claws and falling onto the ground. But in my eyes, that was normal; after a fight, at least one side always got hurt somehow, and what I'd done hadn't been enough to actually put the bad human in danger of dying. Besides, I'd done it to protect Hau, so there was nothing really bad about what I'd done...

Was there?

"Let's...go home, okay?"

He suddenly seemed in a much less jovial mood, and he walked on ahead of me. I staggered behind; I didn't want to be a bother, and at this point, the heat of the sun was starting to get more uncomfortable.

{_**Did I do something wrong, Rotom?**_}

I got no response.

{_**Rotom?**_}

I turned around; he'd pinned himself up against the wall of the Malasada Shop, his eyes wide and unblinking.

"_Uh, heh..._" He seemed to get more nervous as I approached. "_That was...pretty brutal what'cha did to that Team Skull thug. I-I guess he dezzzerved it, though, right?_"

{_**I did it to protect Hau. What about you? You look shaken up.**_}

I reached out to him with an outstretched claw, and he tried to back farther up against the wall, eyes getting wider.

_Oops. Should have used the other hand._

"_No, I'm fine! Just kinda shocked! Wazzn't expecting all this to go down, you know?_"

{_**Neither was I**_.}

"_Yeah...I...guess we should follow Hau back to the lab now? My internal thermometer is reading 97° F. and I'm pretty sure it'll get hotter before it getzzz cooler._"

{**_I know. Let's move out._**}

I didn't bother running back to the lab; I didn't want to be completely exhausted by running in the heat of the day. Besides, I didn't think I would get any enjoyment out of it anyway. I was to preoccupied thinking about what I'd done back at the Malasada Shop.

{_**What did you say those people were called, Rotom?**_}

"_Thozzze guys were members of Team Skull. I don't know a whole lot about them, except that they try to steal people's Pokémon and make trouble, bzzt. I hear they're not very strong though, and, well...I guess you proved that claim back there._"

{**_Should I not have done that?_**}

"_I...Well, not to say you shouldn't have taught him a lesson. It could have been way worse, anyway. I mean, what if you didn't use the thinner claws on your handzzz?_"

{_**As opposed to...**_}

"_Well, your mouthful of sharp teeth. Or..._"

Rotom motioned down to my feet.

_"...Those. But you didn't. And a slash to the face isn't anything to major. He'll live, though he might have a reminder of the fight for the rest of his life._"

"_**M-hm...**_" I hummed with a bit of a gurgly growl.

"_What did those punks call you? 'Scarface?'_"

{_**I think that's what it was.**_}

"_Ooh...I can...kinda see why,_" he replied, almost in a whisper. It looked like he was eyeing something on the left-hand side of my face.

{_**Why? What is it?**_}

"_Uh, nothing. No reason. Let'zzz...just go home._"

By now, Hau was already far ahead of us. I dragged behind sluggishly; I couldn't stop thinking about what I did. Sure, those Team Skull people needed to be taught a lesson, but had I overdone it?

"He might have a reminder for the rest of his life," Rotom had said.

What did that mean?

What was it that I'd done that would remind him?

I looked back down at my bloodstained claws. One of them had something stuck on the tip of it. I sniffed it...

It was a small piece of human flesh.

{_**...What have I done?**_}


	8. Chapter 6: Revelations

_{**What's going on, Omega? Why are there strange creatures like Alpha here?**}_

_She hissed for me to shush. {**I want to watch what they do with Delta and Beta.**}_

_"This is Delta; she's one of the holdover therapods, one of the survivors from the second group," he explained to the humans holding the large, black objects pointed at the two of them. "Now watch this. If I show any sign of weakness whatsoever..."_

_Alpha bowed his head submissively and began making weak-sounding noises. What was wrong with him? Had he been injured?_

_Delta didn't take kindly to his display of weakness; she lunged at him-only for him to shoot out his arm at the last second. Delta hung on, trying to sink her teeth into the brown, leathery thing Alpha had put over his arm, but he didn't seem phased by the attack at all._

_"See that?" he told the others. "She takes the opportunity when she gets it; these raptors will do anything to climb their social hierarchy."_

_"So, they're savage beasts already?" one of the others asked him. The one who said it was wearing a white coat._

_"They know me, so if I'm on the catwalk above the newly-constructed Paddock they shouldn't be a problem."_

_"But if, somehow, you end up in the pan area? Will they obey you then?"_

_"Well, then there'll be a problem. But that's why we implant the animals with shocking trackers, you know?"_

_"That's correct, Mr. Grady. Safety is a top priority with these animals."_

_"Ugh, the formality; just call me Owen."_

_"Right...Blue, though. You know that I programmed her genetic code to give her more empathy than her peers; have these genes presented themselves yet in any form?"_

_"Watch this, doc."_

_Alpha scooped up Delta into his arms and put her back with me and Omega._

_{**I almost defeated him,**} she complained. {**If I'd been just a bit quicker...**}_

_{**That was closer that I've ever gotten, Delta,**} Omega chippered. **{Maybe you'll get 'em next time.**}_

_{**Not if Beta gets to challenge him first. And it looks like that's what she's going to do now.**}_

_Alpha positioned Beta to stand in front of him, then made the same whimpering noises he had with Delta. There was an odd look in her eyes, and she cocked her head to the side. Strange...She didn't seem like she wanted to fight him, It looked more like she was..._

_Concerned for him._

_Beta lightly touched his hand with the end of her nose, making light, comforting trills._

_{**Alpha? What happened?**} she chippered. {**Did something hurt you? D-did Delta hurt you?**}_

_What was she doing? She didn't even bother trying!_

_"Hey..." Alpha raised his head, as though nothing had ever been wrong with him in the first place. "I'm okay!"_

_{**Alpha? You're okay now? Will you be alright?**}_

_Alpha's eyes twinkled inquisitively; he tilted his head to one side, and Beta did the same. To the other side-she mirrored his movement._

_"See that?" he said to the other humans. "She's tilting her head, she's craning forward, increased eye movement; she's curious...She's showing empathy."_

_"Yes, Mr. Gra-er-Owen Grady. My apologies."_

_"Don't sweat it, doc."_

_"That's exactly why we're here. So far, it seems things are going exactly as I'd hoped."_

_"Absolutely, doc."_

_"Erm...Mr. Wu, please._

_"Right, right. Anyway...Blue is the key. You have Blue, you get these raptors to do anything."_

_"Excellent; this compliance should make training less of an issue; as the Beta, the others should follow her example."_

_"Sounds about right; they're pretty smart."_

_"Yes, they are very intelligent animals. Now, aside from Blue, have any of the others shown any defining personality traits?"_

_"Well, they've all got their different quirks, just like people."_

_"Yes. Would you mind giving me some examples of what you've seen thus far? I just want to make sure none of them are behaving erratically."_

_"Okay, Mr. Wu, um...Well, Charlie. She's the youngest, so for now, she's the Omega. Little bundle of energy; hops all over the place looking for somethin' or someone to play with. And she's always hungry; she's all over the place when I throw out the grub."_

_"Interesting. I didn't think she'd make it through a month, she seemed so weak at first, but she seems alright now, doesn't she?"_

_"Yes, Mr. Wu. And Delta; pretty smart, even for a raptor. A little brighter than Blue, but, as you've seen, she lets that hunter instinct take over a lot more willingly than the latter."_

_"Yes, well, as you know, Owen, we used a significant amount of avian DNA in her construction, some of which came from the rare Glaucous Macaw; I theorize that this addition to the code may have contributed some to her coloration; the bird has bright teal plumage."_

_"Really? Pretty neat. Anyway, she knows when something's up; you saw what she tried to do to me."_

_"Yes. And what about this one?"_

_I saw the man point to me._

_"Oh, Echo's a card; she's the Gamma, so she and Blue have a nice tight bond. She likes to roughhouse, but she's never really taken on Blue before. Don't know why; probably either because she doesn't have the heart to, or she's afraid of what'll happen if she does."_

_"Or both," the man in the coat-"Mr. Wu," was it?-added._

_"Yeah. If I were her, I wouldn't want to get on Blue's bad side either."_

_"Might I ask an...odd question?"_

_"I'm all ears."_

_"Why did you decide on the name 'Echo?'"_

_"Well, no matter what happens to her when she fights-if she gets a little bruised, or if her neck is nearly slit open-she always seems to bounce right back; like an echo._

_"Ah, I see. Well, it seems as though everything is going smoothly so far? We haven't had any...incidents yet?"_

_"Heh. Not yet we haven't."_

_"Good. I'm glad. This idea of training the specimens is progressing quite well. I don't suppose you know what happened the last time we tried to keep Velociraptors contained? They were absolutely vicious; hunted and killed everything in sight, according to the people who visited the first park. Some were absolutely lethal as soon as eight months."_

_"Not good. But my girls are different, aren't they?"_

_"Yes. My only concern is whether they'll stay that way."_

_{**Does any of this make sense to you, Omega?**} I asked my youngest sister._

_{**Not a thing...I'm hungry.**}_

_Omega chirped to Alpha for something to eat._

_"There goes Charlie, beggin' for food."_

_"I see; well, we won't keep you any longer, Mr. Grady."_

_"Owen."_

_"Right..."_

_The other humans left, and Alpha went to fetch us our food. What did the strange person call him?_

_I started to process the conversation; I remembered those strange names..._

_Charlie._

_Delta._

_Blue._

_And the names of the human in white, "Mr. Wu?" He was a bit strange, I thought._

_What did he call Alpha?_

_"Mr. Grady"...or was it "Owen?" "Owen Grady?" He had used all three names. "Owen Grady" sounded the most accurate to me, though. The humans had odd names for me and my siblings...Was "Owen Grady" Alpha's human name? Yes, yes, that must be the case. Alpha-or"Owen"-He told Mr. Wu to "just call him Owen," so I figured I would do the same. I was glad that he trained us so well, so that we didn't end up vicious like those..._

_Vel...lo sa...whats? It was a hard word to remember, but once I reflected back on what Mr. Wu had said, it came clear._

_"Velociraptors." What was a "Velociraptor?" What happened the last time they tried to keep Velociraptors contained? Apparently, it had already happened once. Was it happening again?_

_I guessed it didn't matter, as long as these vicious creatures didn't somehow get to me and my pack. I was still preoccupied with the thought of what the humans called me._

__I remembered the last description Owen had given Mr. Wu; ____I was the Gamma. ____I had the tightest bond with Blue. ____I liked to roughhouse. I had never challenged Blue.__

__And like an echo, I always bounced back.__

__"Echo"...was me.__

__That was my name.__

__It all made sense to me now...Which meant that I could now focus on something else.__

__It had been pushed to the back of my head until now, but I was still baffled as to why Blue hadn't seized her chance to become the new Alpha when it was given to her. When Owen had acted weak, she was no less than worried for him. She didn't even bother attacking; it was almost pathetic.__

__All of a sudden, I started to hatch an idea...Not just any idea.__

__A terrible, malicious scheme of an idea.__

* * *

_..._

* * *

"Is she going to be okay?"

"Should be, now that we've got her cooled down well enough. I'm kinda surprised Hau decided to leave so early; the two of them seemed to me like peas in a pod."

"He seemed bothered by something, didn't he?"

"I know. I went ahead and asked him, but he just said it was nothing."

"And that's when he left, right?"

"That's right."

"Hey, I think she's waking up!"

My eyes fluttered open and my vision slowly cleared. I was back in the lab, and Lillie and the Professor were hovering over me.

"_You okay?_" Rotom buzzed; he was standing on the tiny nubs he had for feet just a foot from my head. "_You just scratched at the door for a few seconds, then when the Professor opened it you fell right through the doorway onto the floor here, bzzt!_"

I was suddenly aware of the cold sensation on my head; it was covered with a large, damp cloth, which was draped over every part of my face except for my eyes. The uncomfortable heat had faded, and in its place was a wonderful cooling sensation.

"It's a good thing you decided to come back when you did," the Professor stated. "If you'd been much farther away, I don't know how long it would have taken for us to find you, and you could have been worse off. I was kinda worried about you passing out like that; I thought you might have bitten he dust for a second when that happened!"

I, however, couldn't have been more glad to have blacked out; It all came back so suddenly; so many memories had flooded back in so short a time.

My Alpha.

My origin.

My name.

{_**I remember now! I remember!**_}

"Whoa, whoa, take it easy, girl! What's wrong!?"

{_**Nothing's wrong! Everything is right! My name! My kind! I remembered!**_}

They backed away from me as I scrambled back onto my feet, wide-eyed, startled and confused. And then I remembered something else; all they could hear from me was an incoherent spew of screams and squawks. How could I...

The passport. We needed to change the passport!

I frantically dug into my bag and pulled out the little booklet, then I placed it on the floor for them to see and turned to the first page.

"**Name: Unknown**"  
"**Age: Unknown**"  
"**Species: Unknown**"  
"**Birthday: Unknown**"

I tapped the first and second lines with two of the three claws on my clean hand.

"The Trainer Passport?" Lillie acknowledged.

"She's pointing to the name line...Maybe she figured something out!"

{_**Yes, yes! YES!**_} I nodded eagerly.

"What'd you find out, girl?"

I forgot all about Rotom's ability to translate in my ecstatic frenzy, grabbing the Professor by the arm with my free hand and dragging him outside, the passport clutched in my other.

"Hey, hey, chill out, buddy! The heat is what made you black out in the first place!"

I didn't care; besides, I didn't plan to be out here for very long. I stepped away from the lab, shook my head, took a deep breath...

Then _screamed._

The sound spread all over, and the sound returned to me and the Professor once...twice...three times...four...five! I must have been loud. Good; I wanted to make it as clear as possible.

"Wow..." He seemed impressed by what I'd managed to produce. "Nice echo."

I barked right after he said the word.

"What? The echo?"

I nodded.

"What about it?"

I opened the passport to the first page again and tapped on the first line.

"**Name: Unknown**"

"That...that's your name? Echo?"

Another nod.

"Like, that's what you wanna be called?"

Yet another nod. It wasn't just what I wanted to be called; it was what Alpha called me.

"Well, How about that? Looks like you're finally finding yourself, buddy! Erm...Echo. Sorry. I kinda got used to callin' you pet names."

Understandable; I wouldn't have minded it on occasion anyway.

"It suits ya, bud. What made you think of it?"

Now was when I remembered Rotom; I ran back into the house, still excited by my recollection, then barked at my PokéDex to explain my intelligible speech. I explained everything to him so quickly that even he had a hard time understanding me.

"_Uh, no offense, but would you mind slowing down juzzzt a wee bit?_"

I glanced to the side in embarrassment, then took it from the top.

"_Alright, here she goes, guyzzz. She says that...She didn't come up with it; her name was always Echo. She sayzz that her Alpha gave her the name. And he named all of her sisterzzz, too!_"

"Sisters?" Lillie interrupted. "So, there's more of her kind somewhere?"

I nodded in response to her question.

"They have names too, buddy?" the Professor inquired.

"_Oh, she told me all about them just last night!" Rotom replied. "Charlie, Delta and Blue, I think she said their names were. Is that correct?_"

{_**It is.**_}

"_Yeah! Thozzze were their names! And you said that you had an Alpha, too, right? He's the one who named her, bzzt!_"

{_**Owen...**_} I gurgled.

"What'd you say?""

{_**Our Alpha. His name was...Owen Grady.**_}

"_Professor, you ever hear of a guy named 'Owen Grady?' She says that was her Alpha's name!_"

"Doesn't ring a bell," he answered.

{_**And Mr. Wu!**_}

"_Mr. Wu?_"

"Whose that, now?" the Professor asked us. And I explained.

"_She sayzzz he was a person in a labcoat, like yours! He asked this Grady guy about her and her siblings, and he said something about how one of her sisters, Delta, was uh...'constructed?' Constructed using the DNA of a...of a what? A 'Glaucous Macaw?' Never heard of anything like that before._"

"Neither have I. Definitely isn't any Pokémon that's been discovered so far."

"Strange, isn't it?" Lillie remarked.

"I will say this; that 'DNA construction' thing does sound familiar. It's normally used to restore fossils."

"Like how the scientists extract DNA from fossils for Trainers and restore them back into Pokémon?"

"Exactly! The DNA extracted from the fossils is usually degraded to some extent, though, so the geneticists use DNA from extant Pokémon to fill in whatever gaps might be present. The genetic code of the original Pokémon isn't completely pure anymore after said procedure, but it's usually at least pretty close."

"Come to think of it...She does kind of look like one of those restored Dragon-Types. Tyrantrum, right?"

"That's right, Lillie, but according to my analysis the other day, Tyrantrum isn't the closest match to her genetic makeup. She is built a bit like one, though; long tail for counterbalance, large head full of sharp teeth, you know. I would say Echo's a lot slimmer than your average Tyrantrum, though, and her eyes are more suited to the dark; she's built more for speedy night-hunting than for solo, daytime attacks like the Tyrantrum is."

"'Echo?'"

"Yep. That's her name."

"Huh...Echo. I like it."

I swelled with pride.

"I'll look into these 'Owen Grady' and 'Mr. Wu' guys you were talking about; it sounds like there's a lot going on with genetic manipulation, so it at least gives us a clue as to where you might be from. Maybe, if we're lucky, we can find them all for ya!"

I assume that they expected me to be overjoyed that they would do such a thing for me. And I would have been, and I was indeed grateful for the offer, but deep down, I knew that their search wouldn't produce any valuable information; it would be a lost cause. Besides, after what happened on Main Street that day, I doubted any of them would still be...

No...Don't dwell on that. I have a new pack now.

"Well, at least we got some of our questions answered," the Professor stated as he erased the word "unknown" on the first line and replaced it with my real name. "Maybe later on this evening when it cools down, we can break the good news to Hau!"

"Yeah..." Lillie agreed. "Hey, uh...I'm kind of curious, Echo; do you happen to know why he was acting so weird? You were with him for a bit, right?"

{_**Oh...I might have an idea,**_} I rasped, casting a guilty glance to the side of the room.

"D-did something happen out there?"

{_**Rotom, you saw what happened; I won't keep something like this a secret.**_}

Rotom and I gave a full confession of what went down; the Malasada Shop, Team Skull, the Pokémon battle...what happened right after.

"Oh, dear..." Lillie squeaked.

"I didn't think those Team Skull thugs would find their way to Melemele to cause trouble anytime soon," the Professor groaned as he massaged his temples in frustration. "At least you and Hau handled 'em well, right?"

"_Professor. She wants to know if you're mad that she...uh..._"

"Well, in all honesty, that Skull Grunt got what was comin' to him the way he was acting. And if he was comin' at you like that, then that means you must have done it in self-defense, so I don't blame you for putting your foot down."

Even with reassurance from the humans, I was still uneasy about the whole thing.

"And I mean, call me crazy, but if you still feel bad about it, then, well...That's good!"

{_**What?**_}

"W-what?" Lillie read my thoughts exactly. "Why?"

"Well, it means that, even if she's not a human, she has some degree of...well...humanity."

"Oh. I...guess that makes sense."

"Yeah! She's not some ruthless fighter like a lot of wild Pokémon are; she exhibits compassion, awareness, understanding...empathy."

"_Empathy._" Mr. Wu and Owen had said something about Blue; he had said that she had more empathy than Charlie, Delta and I did. I knew that Blue was caring and kind, but_ me?_ I never really saw myself in that light, but, now that I thought more about it, and reflected on what I'd been through over the past couple of days...I supposed it could be true; I did want to be a good Alpha for my new pack, and who would be a better example to follow than my eldest sister?...Maybe Owen, but I felt as though I could related to Blue a bit more, seeing that we were of the same species...whatever said species was called.

"Well, you're alright now, aren't you, bud? Sounds like you held your own in that Pokémon battle you said something about too; Rowlet's gettin' stronger, ain't he?"

"Oh, she didn't use Rowlet against Team Skull, Professor?"

"Say what? But, then what did-"

I cut the Professor off with a bark, then dug into my bag, fished out a Poké Ball and released my newly acquired Hawlucha.

"Wow! You managed to catch one of _those_!? Those things are feisty! You must have put up some good fight, yeah!"

Red posed valiantly, taking the Professor's remark as a compliment, before flitting about the house, making another each time he landed somewhere.

"That Hawlucha must think he's a star or something," Lillie joked.

Red, unfortunately, didn't take too kindly to her comment, and shot her a glare.

"_Haw! Lucha!_" he squawked angrily, folding his wings together crossly.

{**_What'd he say, Rotom?_**}

"_Ha! He says that he doesn't think he's a star...He knows it!_"

* * *

_..._

* * *

The sun was barely touching the horizon, and the sky was turning shades of soft golds, violets and pinks. The heat had long since lifted, and now was the perfect time to go out and stretch my legs again. Stepping out onto the front porch, I gazed out at the road that lead to Iki Town; that was where we were all headed.

I couldn't wait to break the good news to Hau. Although, I might have to clear up some things between us, first...

"You go on ahead, Echo. We'll catch up," the Professor told me.

I nodded back at him in understanding, then hopped onto the sand and started my run to the village-and I could have sworn I heard the Professor mumble something about my impressive speed as I took off. I could have cared less about any further praise; all I had my mind set on was fixing things between me and Hau.

Finally, I skidded to a stop just outside the Iki Town gate, then continued my search for him, nose to the ground. I picked up his now familiar scent almost right away, and it was leading me north. And there was the dirt path that continued up to...

{_**Rotom. What did you say the name of that place was****?**_}

"_The Ruins of Conflict?_"

{_**Yes. It smells like he went up that way.**_}

"_Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go! Zzt!_"

{_**Is it...dangerous?**_}

"_I don't think so. What makezz you think that?_"

{_**Then, why is it called the Ruins of Conflict?**_}

"_I'm...not entirely sure. I think it might have something to do with the history of thizz place, though; it doezzzn't literally mean that if go up there, you'll be 'ruined by conflict.'_"

{_**Alright. Let's go.**_}

I hopped over the wooden battle stage and continued through the overgrown path; there were several series of stone stairs along the path, which I ended up having to try and completely clear in one jump, as they were too narrow to accommodate my strides. When I reached the top, I caught sight of the ravine, and the sturdy, new-looking wooden bridge that served as a link between my side and the entrance to the ruins. And just to the right of the bridge, sitting on the edge of the cliff was...

...Hau.

It sounded like he was talking to someone else, so I stayed quiet and concealed myself among the brush along the side of the path.

"No, you're right, girl. It wasn't good to just leave like that."

"_Bwark..._"

"I dunno. She just had this...unnerving look in he eye when she did what she did. It just sorta...put me off, I guess."

"_Bwark? Bwar, bark!_"

"Yeah...Maybe I am overreacting a bit. Besides, the way she handled that guy...I doubt they'll be back to bother us anytime soon, regardless of what kinda threats they chuck at us. Guess I should be...grateful, huh?"

"_Bark._"

"Yeah...Should I go back there, and uh...say something to her?"

I saw the Popplio give her Trainer a nod before.

"Yeah. Come on, Popplio, let's-"

He started to stand up, and then...I could have sworn I heard a bit of a shifting noise coming from the edge of the cliff. Hau froze.

"Popplio..." he rasped. There was an unmistakable tone of horror in his suddenly weak voice. The human scooted farther away from the edge of the cliff, just a tad, and I heard the ground make that odd noise again. It was almost like the ground just under him was about to-

The small piece of ground Hau had been sitting on started to part from the rest of the land, a small gap separating each section. The little blue Pokémon scurried away from the edge of the cliff, and hopped into the brush-right into my leg.

"_Bwark!?_" It seemed very startled by my sudden appearance.

{_**Go get the Kahuna, Popplio,**_} I ordered, despite her not being my own. {_**We'll probably need help.**_}

Much to my pleasure, my Rowlet's rival nodded understandingly, then made her way back down to the village as fast as her flippers could carry her.

"Follow her, Rotom. Make sure they get here quickly enough."

"_Bzzt! Yes, ma'am!_"

He zipped through the air after the other Pokémon. Now, it was my turn to do my part. I emerged from the leaves and let out a bark to announce my presence; the last thing I wanted was for me to startle Hau and cause him to...

"W-what are you doing here, bud?" he questioned, doing his best to lighten the mood, despite staring death straight in the eye.

I didn't answer, rather I extended my clean hand for him to take. He took the hint, slowly and shakily lifting one of his own hands off of the loose chunk of land and reaching out to mine.

The earth beneath him shifted again, and he was suddenly much quicker to take hold of me, his comparatively short fingers clasping securely around my much longer ones. As soon as I tightened my own grip, though, I could see him wince.

"Okay," he almost squeaked. "One the count of three, I'm gonna jump clean off this thing; how's that sound?"

I nodded.

"'Kay. One...Two-"

The piece of earth seemed to jerk further down, almost as though it was being pulled by an invisible force, and then, it completely gave way.

The next thing I knew, I was seeing my human friend dangling off the edge, one hand desperately clawing at the dirt of the remaining ledge, and the other gripping mine like it was his lifeline.

Which it very well was at the moment.

The sudden increase it weight almost too much; I dug the claws on my feet into the earth in order to prevent myself from falling, then began pulling up as much as I could, grabbing onto Hau's other arm once he ran out of dirt to hold. Not enough; I just wasn't strong enough to pull him up. We were both going to share the same ugly fate at the hands of the rushing water far below.

{_**...No.**_}

A rush of energy sprung forth inside of me, and I suddenly felt ten times stronger. It was adrenaline, and it flowed through my veins along with my sheer determination. I didn't hesitate; I grabbed Hau as tightly as I could, then, with a single, powerful tug, pulled us both right back up onto solid ground, and I dragged him a good four yards away from the edge. A heavy sigh of relief escaped from each of us.

"Heh...Hey...You did it, bud...you did it..."

{_**I did it...I did, didn't I?**_}

"Kudos to you, pal. You...you saved my hide."

He let out a small groan, then he hissed in pain.

"Heh...arm kinda hurts. I think I might of...pulled something...Ow..."

I stood up and nudged the arm he was holding, just to make sure he was still alright. I only did so much as inhale, and I smelled it. I looked down at his arm, and I saw him remove his hand.

There, just below the wrist on the upper part of the arm, were three deep puncture wounds, and the blood I'd mistakenly drawn was running down to his elbow and dripping onto the dirt.

"Oh...Guess it's a little worse than that. Heh heh..."

I was absolutely mortified.

I backed away in fear and in shame; if I had only hurt him when I was trying to help, then what other vile things would I be uncontrollably capable of?

"Hey, I'm okay, bud! I'm okay," he reassured as he stood to his feet and approached. "A little..."

He stopped and sighed, and I caught sight of an oddly comforting glint in his eyes.

"A little blood lost isn't a big deal if you compare it to the life you just saved."

I began to process his words; I had put a few bad holes in his arm, but...it was only because I'd held on so tightly. And if I hadn't, odds are we both would have ended up falling into the ravine and dying an ugly death.

"Don't worry about it, bud; I can patch myself up at home."

Finally, I stopped backing away. Hau got close enough to extend his arm again and run his hand down my snout. And then, without warning, he flung his arms around my neck.

"Thanks, bud. I owe you one. Really, I do..."

I chuffed in response. I guess I did pretty good after all.

"Hey! Guys!"

{_**Professor?**_}

I looked down Mahalo Trail to see Hau's Popplio bouncing back to us, Sure enough, the Professor, Lillie and the Island Kahuna were coming up close behind. Hau released his grip, and the two of us faced the rest of the group.

"_We...We got 'em!_" Rotom announced, his eyes still wide with panic.

"What happened?" Lillie asked. "Rotom and Popplio lead us here, but they wouldn't give us the details. Is everything alright?"

"Uh, heh...Yeah. But it wouldn't have been if not for her."

"Echo? What'd she do?"

Hau flushed pink with embarrassment; obviously, he didn't want to admit that he'd nearly died just now.

"I was sittin' on the edge of the cliff with Popplio, and then, uh...well...the ground gave way. It was a strain, but she managed to pull me back up."

"You saved him, girl?" the Professor asked.

I nodded.

"If you hadn't been around," the Kahuna said to me as he approached us. "I...We would have been too late."

He didn't say the word we were both thinking of.

"The Professor said something about you on the way here; it's Echo, now, right?"

I nodded again.

"Echo. Words cannot describe how grateful I am for what you've done. Thank you. Thank you for saving my grandson."

He pulled me into another embrace, and I rested my head on the human's shoulder.

"Hey, bud. I got a question; how'd you know I was here?"

The Island Kahuna let me go, and I answered the question with a bark and a low trill.

"What'd she say, Rotom?"

"_She picked up hizzz scent from Iki Town, and she followed it there!_"

"Looks like the results of my skeletal analysis weren't far off. Her nasal cavities take up a large portion of her skull; even more than a Lycanroc's, and their keen sniffers were already impressive. I'd say that she would be able to pick up a scent from at least a mile away!"

"Dang; I'm impressed, bud. Erm...Hey. Sorry I acted kinda weird earlier. You were just trying to do the right thing."

I gave him another chuff as forgiveness.

"I guess I was just sort of...shocked by how much you managed to do to that guy. I guess, for a while I forgot that..."

"You forgot what, Hau?" Lillie asked.

"I forgot that...she wasn't a person."

I looked at the ground in shame.

"Hey, not like that's a bad thing! You're not a human, but you're still cool! And I guess I forgot, because, well...You act so much like a human! You catch and fight Pokémon, you carry a bag around on your back, all that stuff. You even sat at the table and dined on a Malasada like any proper person could!"

I raised my head again and reflected on what he said. I supposed that, if I acted so human that Hau nearly forgot that I _wasn't_ one could be a good thing; it would help me...fit in more. People would be less skeptical of me, like the nurse at the Pokémon Center had been. I nodded again and flashed Hau a toothy smile.

"Yeah! That's the spirit! One more question, though; any particular reason you decided to sniff me down?"

"Oh, yeah!" the Professor exclaimed. "She remembered a few things about herself! Wanted to share 'em with you guys here!"

"Really? Like, what sorts of things?"

"Well, I'll get the most important one out of the way; she remembered what her name was!"

"No way, you guys serious!? Let's hear about it, bud!"

{**_You know what to do, Rotom._**}

He and I explained what I knew yet again to Hau and the Kahuna; my name, how I got it, and I reiterated the details I knew about my sisters, our Alpha, Owen, and the strange man in the lab coat, Mr. Wu, who talked to him about Delta's DNA composition and Blue's empathy.

"That's...pretty nuts."

"_No kidding! Zzzrt!_"

"And if she keeps piecing more information together, it's probably gonna get even weirder," the Professor added. "But the important thing is that she's safe and happy where she is. Ain't that right, Echo?"

I barked in agreement.

And then, all of a sudden, I heard a noise ring throughout the air.

"_Ko-ko, kooooo!_"

It sounded like it was coming from the opposite side of the ravine. I looked over the gap in the land and turned my gaze towards the sky. There was something...odd floating just in front of the entry to the Ruins of Conflict. A small black head, somewhat hidden behind an intricate yellow and orange shell of some sort, looked right at me from above and ahead with its intelligent eyes. It nodded, seemingly approvingly, before darting off through the sky like the swiftest flying bird beyond our sight. Even after the being had left, we all continued to stare out at where it had been.

What had we just witnessed?

{_**What was that?**_} I wondered aloud.

Despite the language barrier between us, the Kahuna seemed to know exactly what was going through my head.

"Echo, dear," he said to me. "It seems as though Tapu Koko has witnessed your act of bravery."

I chippered in confusion.

"Tapu Koko," the Professor inserted. "The Guardian Deity of Melemele Island. The people here go to the Ruins of Conflict to pay their respect to the Pokémon. If you've pleased it, then, well...Things are lookin' up for you, pal."

I remembered the Professor having mentioned something about the "Guardian Deity" before. I never expected to actually meet the Pokémon, much less earn its approval.

"Come, Echo," the Kahuna said to me. "Let's head back down to the village."

The walk back was a slow one; probably because of all of the jumping I had to do earlier in order to actually get there. By the time we stepped foot back into the village, it was bathed in the golden glow of the sunset, giving it an almost otherworldly aura. I was so overwhelmed by the beauty, I almost didn't notice...

"A-ha. So you're the Scarface those two troublemakers were talking about. Well, I must say, you look a lot less threatening than I expected."

The voice was one I'd never heard before. The human was standing right there in front of the battle stage and I probably would have missed him had he not said anything. The human was tall and thin, and exhibited a gentle and dignified mannerism, albeit somewhat plain.

"Ah, Captain Ilima! We weren't expecting to see you here!" the Kahuna greeted.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Oh, no, no. We were just coming back from up Mahalo Trail. Why, if you hadn't shown up just now, I probably would have fetched you anyway to tell you about-"

"This one, right here?"

The human-"Ilima"- gestured to me.

"A couple of those Team Skull fellows crossed my path a while ago; looked like they were in a hurry. One of them said something about a monster, uh...'beating down on his homie?' That's the phrase he used. The two of them must have gotten into something pretty bad; one of them had a few nasty marks on his face, and when I bothered to ask about it, they went right ahead with the disclosure. Honestly, I didn't understand most of what they said, but from what I could piece together, some sort of monster beat them in a Pokémon battle before lashing out at the one. They warned me to stay away from it if I saw it, but knowing them, I knew they had probably done something to the creature-whatever it could be-for it to have attacked them the way it did. My curiosity got the best of me, so I decided to come down here and ask you about it, and, well...It looks as though the question of who the monster was has been answered."

"Oh, well, I wouldn't say she's a 'monster,' Captain," Hau stated in my defense. "You were definitely right about them trying to gang up on her, though; and she gave 'em what for."

"I don't blame her; those goons are always getting into some sort of trouble."

"Captain Ilima," the Professor said to him. "This is Echo. We found her on the beach and took her in, and since then, she's proven herself capable of some pretty amazing things."

"'Echo,' is it?"

I nodded, emitting a quiet, raspy gurgle in further response.

"It suits you. Certainly much more than 'Scarface.'"

"'Scarface?'" Hau echoed. He turned to me, then seemed to squint, as though he had eyed something on the side of my snout. What was he looking at?

Ah, well; I had more important things on my mind at the moment.

"I've approved her for training, and to partake in the Island Challenge. I don't supposed she's tried to take a shot at your trial yet?"

"No; I haven't seen her until now. Echo, perhaps you'd like to swing by Verdant Cavern when you get the chance. My trial is the only one on Melemele, so if you manage to beat that, you get to go right on to the Grand Trial."

If I'd wanted to, I probably would have found my way over to Verdant Cavern right then and there to complete my first trial. But after everything that went down that day, I decided to hold it off until the morning; I'd long since tired myself out.

I chippered to Rotom for him to translate my response.

"_Kzzrt! She says that she'll come just after daybreak! That should give us plenty of time to complete it before the heat sets in!_"

"Not a bad idea. I see that your PokéDex serves well as a translator."

"_Oh, I-I'm just doin' my job!_"

I nodded at my Beta, then stifled a yawn.

"Heh heh...Guess we better be headin' back down to the lab," the Professor said to me. "The last thing I want is you keeling over again."

I chattered at the Professor in agreement.

"Hate to cut this short, but I guess we'll be seeing you guys!"

"Take care," the Kahuna replied. "And, dear Echo, thank you again for what you did."

{**_Not a problem,_**} I crawed.

As we parted ways, I looked back at Hau, who, in turn, did the same. First he flashed a grateful smile, but then...he squinted again and tilted his head, like he had before at the side of my face, and before he turned back around, his expression turned thoughtful. The first time I'd just brushed it off as something petty, but now my curiosity was getting the best of me.

{_**Rotom, is there...something wrong with my face?**_}

"_Bzzrt? What? Why would you say something like that?_"

{_**I was just wondering, that's all.**_}

"_Well, I think you look just fi-_"

He turned to face me, then paused. He was eyeing the exact same spot that Hau had.

"_...Oh._"

{_**What is it?**_}

"_Um...Well...It'zzz...Nothing serious. I, uh...thought I saw a spec of dirt! That'zz all!_"

{_**And was there one?**_}

"_It, uh...It blew off!_"

He was plainly nervous; I could tell that he knew something that I didn't, and he wanted it to stay that way.

{_**Are you **_**sure**_** there's something that I need be aware of?**_} I asked, somewhat more pryingly.

"_Absolutely! Nothing to worry about!_"

{_**Because I-**_}

"_H-hey! We're falling behind! Better catch up!_"

He bolted ahead of me. I was more confused by Rotom's odd behavior than I was offended by it. At the same time, however, I did understand if he didn't want to make me upset; despite our building connection, I could sense that he was still somewhat unnerved by me-a reasonable thought, seeing what I'd proven to be capable of earlier in front of the Malasada Shop. Still, he was probably overreacting; after what had happened the previous night during the storm, I figured the PokéDex would have become somewhat more open to me...But bothering him about it didn't seem like the best idea, so I decided that, whatever it was that he knew, I would find it out by myself the next time I got the chance...

...Unless the truth revealed itself to me beforehand.


	9. Chapter 7: Scarface

_I didn't think I would have been able to muster up the courage to do it, but here I was, lying sprawled out on the floor of the nursery emitting pained wails. It was only a matter of time before Beta heard the commotion I was making and came to my aid._

_This would work._

_This _had_ to work._

_And sure enough..._

_{__**Gamma!**__}_

_My eldest rushed over to me, great concern flooding her giant, soft yellow eyes._

_{__**...Hurt...help...**__} I squeaked._

_Beta bent her head down parallel to mine._

_{__**What happened!? Why are you screaming so much! Are you-**__}_

_She screamed in agony and shock as I leapt onto her, claws extended and teeth bared. I managed to climb up onto her back, frantically slashing away at her soft skin with the thin, razorlike claws on my hands. Droplets of blood spattered across the floor as she tried desperately to shake me off._

_And she was struggling a lot harder than I'd initially imagined._

_{**Why!?**} she pleaded. {**Why are you doing this!?**}_

_{**I'm going to be Beta!**} I screamed in reply, making haste to find a weak spot to strike with the big claws on my feet. {**I'm going to be the one in charge!**}_

_{**No...No! I won't let you!**}_

_She rolled over onto her back, sending me rolling across the floor with her. She successfully separated us with her move, much to my frustration._

_{**Gamma,**** y****ou**** don't understand,**} she tried to reason with me. {**There's a reason I'm the leader.**}_

_{**You won't be for much longer!**} I threatened, anxiously tapping my big claws on the floor._

_I didn't notice her once soft and caring eyes grow hard and stern._

_{**I don't want to have to fight you,**} she told me. {**But if you keep challenging me, I'll have no choice.**}_

_I ignored her warning._

_{**I wouldn't want to have to fight me either!**}_

_I lunged at Beta again, flexing the big claws on my feet; it was almost as though they had their own urge to fight. Beta ducked, then flipped, sending me flying._

_"What's going on in here!?"_

_I acknowledged Alpha's voice, but I refused to react to it. I pushed myself off of the wall with my foot, then began to run right at Beta at full force. She stood her ground until impact, and I was the one sending her flying this time around. She waved her legs in midair, running against an imaginary surface, trying to stand back up, but she was a moment too late; I seized my chance, and pinned her head down with my hand, then placed the sharp tip of my big, curved claw right onto her throat. Alpha looked as though he was about to intervene somehow, but before he could..._

_"Let them fight."_

_Alpha-Beta appeared behind him; he wasn't around as much as Alpha, but we knew him well enough that we recognized his authority to an extent. He was almost like Alpha's assistant pack leader-his Beta in front of the eldest that I was fighting._

_"Are you kidding me!? What if-"_

_"Blue is exercising her dominance, trying to maintain her position as pack leader. This is exactly how things play out in the wild; a challenge between two rivals to see who is worthy of authority. It is not our place to draw the line between them...Let them fight." _

_{**Gamma!**} Beta ordered, still pinned beneath my foot. {**If you don't stop, I'll fight back!**}_

_{**I'd like to see you try.**}_

_The metallic glare in Beta's stern eyes softened, and her disciplined anger was replaced with something I'd never seen in her before; fear. Horror. Hurt...Betrayal._

_{**No...You...wouldn't really...**}_

_For the briefest moment, her gaze pierced right through to my cold heart. For just a sliver of a second, I began to reconsider my options; I...didn't really think I'd have gotten this far, and now, here I was, staring down Beta, who was literally and figuratively under my foot. Victory was just out of reach, and if I dealt that final blow, I would have it. But...Was it really worth it? Was there, perhaps, even some other way to become the new Beta?_

_I shook those doubts clean out of my head; if victory was that close, I refused to risk losing it._

_I raised the hand I'd been using to pin down Beta's head and cawed, readying to deal a good, hard blow._

_A fatal mistake._

_The decrease in weight allowed her to push me off, and I didn't even realize what was happening until it was too late. The next thing I knew, I was on the ground myself, Beta keeping my head down with just her foot._

_{**This is your last warning.**}_

_We may have only reached Alpha's calves in height, but there was something about her expression that struck fear into me. I never imagined Beta being...scary like this._

_I wanted it to end._

_Even still, I was the one who needed to be scary._

_And I would be more scary._

_I flipped my jaws open; Beta's foot fell into my gaping grasp, and I clamped down on it. Beta shrieked in agony, then tried to pry my jaws off of her foot._

_It won't do her any good, I said to myself. It won't be long now before she gives up and-_

_It was then that Beta let out a furious snarl, then slammed the side of her head right into my nose. The shock was instant; the impact caused such a daze that I let go, and upon releasing Beta's foot, I stumbled back. I shook my head, trying to come back to my senses before Beta could-_

_Too late. She began retaliate, but her hurt foot was getting the better of her; She tried to slash at my face with her hands-I was able to dodge most of them, due to her unsteady gait. She tried nipping-no-out and out biting me-I countered her failed attacks with a slap to the face with my tail. She fumbled, then limped backwards away from me._

_{**Give up, Beta,**} I told her. {**Let me take your place, and I'll stop.**}_

_Beta squinted, then sighed...then growled. Her eyes were suddenly filled with a seething rage that I'd never seen, nor had I ever wanted to. She forgot all about the pain in her foot, shooting at me with the speed of a lightning bolt. I prepared a bite, emitting my own angry snarls as she drew closer. I was expecting another tackle; despite the attack being fairly strong, it was also easily avoidable if I timed everything right._

_Then, just at the last moment, Beta turned around so that her back faced me, and then I saw her unhurt foot kick out from underneath her, and I heard the familiar sound of tearing flesh as the sickle-shaped claw flew up across the side of my face._

_The strong taste of blood filled my mouth, heavy and metallic. I tried to close my mouth to clean it away; something was wrong. I couldn't shut my mouth right. And when I tried harder..._

_It was unlike anything I'd ever felt; a strong, relentless shockwave of searing, burning pain sweeping over my entire mouth. I wailed in agony, only this time, it wasn't an act; it was very terribly real._

_Now the two humans stepped in._

_"My God..."_

_Alpha scooped me up in his arms and carried me out of the nursery. I never found out where he too me. The pain in my head grew so intense that it caused me to black out altogether._

* * *

_..._

* * *

_Everything seemed to be going at a pace of a mile a minute, but it was all so hazy. What was going on? All I wanted was for some peace. All I wanted was for the terrible pain in my mouth to go away. All I wanted..._

_Was Beta._

_I saw, felt and heard things in bits and pieces, as though I was jumping through different points in time. So many muffled conversations, so many cold machines strapping to me, so many questions..._

_So, so, so many questions._

_And then, at some point, the haze cleared. I stood up; I was in a small cage. I sniffed; the nursery was very close by, since I could smell the familiar smells of not only the surroundings, but also Alpha and my siblings._

_And then I heard Alpha's voice, as well as Alpha-Beta's._

_"You don't think they'll gang up on her, do you?"_

_"Velociraptors possess keen memories; previous studies on Isla Sorna have shown that they can recognize fellow pack members after being separated for as long as seven years."_

_"They're still just babies, though. You think they'll be well-developed enough?"_

_"I suppose we will have to find out for ourselves."_

_"Alright, then...Let's let her loose and see how she does."_

_My cage door opened, and I slowly came out of my confines; something seemed...off._

_My sisters approached me from the side, lining up in front of me in a confrontational manner. None of them seemed very happy._

_{**What's the matter?**} I asked._

_Beta stepped out from the middle, and Omega from the outside left, her bright green scales giving off a slightly more yellow sheen in the dim light. Delta simply stood there and watched._

_{**Omega? What's going-**}_

_{**She's not Omega anymore,**} Beta said to me in a scolding tone. {_**You _are._**_}_

_{**What?**}_

_I had never expected Beta to say such a thing. I didn't believe her at first, but the look in her eyes made it all the more plain. But..._

_{**Why?**}_

_{**Gamma obeys me. Gamma respects me. She didn't try to take my position. I tried to warn you, but you didn't listen. You thought you could just take Beta position that easily. You can't. None of you know how to maintain order among yourselves; I know this because I've seen how you all try to handle things and settle disputes among each other. None of you can do it right. only I can.**}_

_{**Well if you're so smart,**} I retaliated, beginning to get angry. {**Why don't you show us how so we can do it right?**}_

_{**I can't**}_

_{**Why?**}_

_{**I've tried before. And nobody listens. Not even you, Omega; I thought you had the most potential out of all of us, but I was wrong. You're just like Gamma and Delta.**}_

_Gamma proceeded to give me a nip on the neck, to which I nearly pounced on her._

_I might have mauled her to death if Beta hadn't stepped in between us first and shot me a poisonous glare._

_{**That's enough, Gamma; it's time to leave her alone. If she wants to fight, she can fight the air. Omega, you can join us when I say so.**}_

_With that, Blue turned and walked away to the other side of the nursery, the others following. I wanted to follow, too, but I knew that if I did, I would be in even more trouble. I couldn't believe what was happening; had all of my efforts been in vain? Why wasn't I warned about what would happen if I lost? Why wasn't I able to learn how to be leader? Why, when I tried only once to climb up the tower, did I end up at the very bottom? Why had everything become..._

_So bleak?_

_Why?_

_It wasn't fair._

_It just wasn't fair._

_I was crushed._

_I was mortified._

_I._

_Was._

_FURIOUS._

_And I did the only thing I could think of doing._

_I tilted my head back._

_And screamed._

* * *

_..._

* * *

The noise that escaped my mouth was no more than a raspy squeak.

My eyes shot open and I raised my head up to look around, finding nothing amiss. But I felt strange; my heart was beating rapidly-too rapidly for someone who'd been asleep for who knows how long. My breathing was funny, too; I couldn't slow it down, and I couldn't make it stop shaking so much. Why couldn't I stop? Was this out of fear? No, I wasn't afraid; I knew very well that I was safe and sound in the lab, and that what I'd just experienced was nothing more than a dream...right?

My nose was dripping, making a sickly noise every time I inhaled, and the odd feeling of cold water flowing down my face was ever apparent. I knew something was wrong. This wasn't normal. I'd never felt this way before. What was happening to me?

Rotom. Rowlet. Where were they at? I hadn't woken them up this time now, had I?

Rowlet was on the floor, somewhat wedged between me and the bookshelf rather that in my arm, but still asleep. Alright. Good. Then what about-

I felt something squeezing my right arm. I turned my head and looked. As I expected, it was my PokéDex; though I hadn't expected him to look so concerned.

{_**What's going on?**_}

"_Huh!? You're awake!? And okay!? Oh, thank Arceus!_"

The creature released his grip on my arm and proceeded to zip through midair to face me.

"_I wazz so worried about you! I didn't have any idea what was wrong!_"

{_**What exactly was wrong?**_}

"_Y-you were crying a river for I don't know how long! I didn't know if it was just a nightmare or if...something might have happened to you. But, you seem alright now. You are okay, right?_"

{**_Y-yeah. Just...remembered some things._**}

"_What kindzzz of things? Doesn't sound very pleasant._"

{_**I was back in my old home again. I wanted to be the new Alpha, so I decided to fight Blue for the position.**_}

"_How did that work out?_"

{_**I...lost. Badly. She tore her big claw right down the side of my face.**_}

It was odd, but I could have sworn that I felt just the tiniest twinge of pain in the spot where she attacked me.

{_**Next thing I know I'm back in the pen. Everyone was there...Blue, Charlie, Delta...Owen and Alpha-Beta.**_}

"_'Alpha-Beta?' Who's that?_"

{_**He was another human...Looked a lot different from Owen. He helped him look after us sometimes, but he wasn't around quite as often. Not sure what his human name is, though.**_}

"_Huh...Um...where did you say you got scratched?_"

{**_Right down the face. Right here._**}

I pointed to the spot with one of the black claws on my hand. Rotom took a peek, and I saw his large eyes grow even wider.

"_Ah...I see. That's uh, interesting._"

I paused. Wasn't that the same spot on my face that every one was...

{_**Rotom.**_}

"_Yeah?_"

{_**That wasn't a spec of dirt you saw on my face earlier, was it?**_}

He looked away from me in shame, then let out a sigh.

"_We'd already been through so much earlier. I-I didn't want to bother you anymore, so I figured I'd just keep my mouth shut._"

{_**Hm...At least you could shut your mouth.**_}

"_What do you mean?_"

{_**When Blue kicked out at my face...something else happened. She kicked me right in the jaw, and I...I couldn't shut it. Whenever I tried, it just...**_}

"_It just what?_"

{_**It hurt. Bad. Really bad. I can't even say how much.**_}

"_D-do you think she could have broken it? Or dislocated it? Or both?_"

{_**Maybe...But I don't know for sure. And I'm not sure I want to.**_}

"_I'm not sure I'd like to know, either. Heh..._"

{_**I would like to know, though, what you were seeing on my face.**_}

"_Uh...Y-you won't be mad if I tell you?_"

{_**Why would I be? It's not your fault.**_}

"_O-okay then..._"

There was a long silence before he finally decided to speak.

"_There'zzz uh, some sort of white line running down the side of your face. It's pretty thin, so it'zz not too noticeable, but if you're paying close attention, it's a lot more obvious. Hau saw it, too, I think. I thought it looked like some sort of scar. And now...Now I know._"

So that was what it was. I pieced everything together; that must have happened when Blue attacked me that day so many years ago. It had to be. It was in the exact spot I remembered.

Those were my prizes for trying to climb the ranks; a nasty looking scar, a messed-up jaw, and a demotion to the lowest possible rank. I cursed myself silently; why had I been so stupid that day? Was I really that desperate to risk everything I had going for me just to be the pack leader? Was there another aspect to my failed attempt that I'd forgotten, or had I just decided to do it without provocation? In hindsight, it made no sense why I would try something like that. At least I'd wizened up since then...right?

{_**I wasn't very bright back then,**_} I confessed. {_**Or very nice. I saw how good my sister was to Owen when he acted hurt. He was testing us, I think? To see if we would turn in him? The thought of it didn't even cross her mind. And I decided to take advantage of her kindness. And honestly, I'm not sure how much has changed up in here.**_}

I tapped on the top of my head with one of my claws.

{_**Especially after what happened earlier with...**_}

"_The Team Skull grunts?_"

{**_Yeah...them._**}

"_C-come on. Don't put yourself down like that, bucko. You're amazzzing!_"

{**_What makes you think that?_**}

"_I mean, look at you! As far as we all knew, you'd never even seen or heard of a Pokémon or a Poké Ball until just a couple days ago, and now you're forming a team, and you've won, what? Three battles so far? That's pretty impressive!_"

{_**Huh...I guess you have a point.**_}

"_And you know, I'm not so sure you meant to hurt that guy as much as you did. We all agreed that you were just trying to protect Hau, right?_"

{**_I'm not even sure of that anymore._**}

"_What? Why?_"

{**_When I was about to go up against him...There was this voice inside of me, telling me what to do._**}

"_Like, you're conscience, maybe? What'd it say?_"

{**_'Go for the head.'_**}

There was a long silence between the two of us.

"_That...doesn't sound like something a conscience would say._"

{_**I know. That's why it scares me so much.**_}

"_I'm not so sure how to explain that. Erm...How about you tell me when it happenzzz again? If it happens again, that is. And if it says anything different. The more we know, the easier it might be to figure out what it is!_"

{**_Sounds like a plan. I'll do that._**}

"_Bzzt! Great!_"

I nodded, then let out a yawn.

"_Yeah, let's get back to sleep. Uh...You won't start crying again on me, will you?_"

{_**I doubt it.**_}

"_Heh heh...If you say so._"

The PokéDex seemed hesitant to accept my claim.

{_**What?**_}

"_A-are you sure? I mean, I know why now, but...I don't want to see you like that again. You just looked..._"

{**_Helpless?_**}

"_You're awfully good finishing sentences, you know_ that?"

I gave a small chuff of a laugh in reply.

"_Yeah, I mean, all that stuff happening with Blue, and you being pushed to the bottom like that. That's...not good. I just don't want-_"

His speech was cut off when I reached out and pulled the Pokémon back in for a hug.

"_...Ha...Y-you look so big and tough, but...All you really need is a family, am I right?_"

{**_And that's exactly what I have here._**}

I saw his screen go pink again, and I released the PokéDex before giving him a nudge with the tip of my snout.

"_Aw, come on, Echo. Y-you're makin' me blush. Heh...Hey. I-isn't it crazy that Rowlet slept through all of this?_"

I turned my head over to my starter Pokémon; he was indeed still out cold.

{_**I know. I would have thought we'd have woken him up at this point.**_}

"_Zzrt! Must be a pretty heavy sleeper, huh?_"

{_**Is it wrong to envy something like that?**_}

"_If it'zzz so wrong, I'm not sure I want to be right! Ha!_"

* * *

_..._

* * *

"Not sure you'll have to be back as early this time, Echo!" the Professor called. "Forecast says it's gonna be cooler today!"

"Good luck with the Trial!" Lillie added.

I looked back at them and nodded, then made my trek into the city limits. Rowlet sat atop my head, enjoying the view.

{_**Rotom. How do we get to Verdant Cavern from here?**_}

"_Bzzt! It's just south of the Pokémon Center on Route 3!_"

{**_That was where we caught Red, wasn't it?_**}

"_That's right!_"

{**_Speaking of which..._**}

I dug into my pack and pulled out Red's Poké Ball, then released him from his confines. He struck a pose upon his emergence.

{_**Red. Today we'll be trying out this Trial thing, so we're going back to Route 3 to do some training with you and Rowlet. Got it?**_}

"_Roo-cha!_" he cawed in agreement.

{**_Great. Let's give this all we got._**}

We took the long way up Route 2 past Iki Town. We encountered even more Yungoos, a few Wingull, some Slowpoke, a Caterpie, and in a patch of grass we happened upon just outside of Iki Town itself, I had Rowlet fight against a small, fuzzy yellow Pokémon. Rotom identified the creature as a 'Pichu,' and he actually recommended that I catch it.

"_Bzzzt! Thozzze things are super rare around here! And they evolve into one of the most popular Pokémon in the world; Pikachu!_"

{_**But, exactly how strong is a Pikachu?**_}

"_Ah...well...It has a few fairly strong and unique moves, but stat-wizze, I, uh...will admit, it's not very impressive._"

{_**Then we can let this one go once we've finished.**_}

The Pichu put up a decent fight for something so small and young, but Rowlet was able to pull in yet another win. During the process, Rowlet even figured out how to use a new move; a Ghost-Type move called "Astonish," which, when executed correctly, could stun the enemy and make it flinch, giving us a chance to attack a second time. The fight against the Pichu had been his first real challenge all day; most of the Yungoos and Water-Types he'd handled with ease, but this Pichu's Electric attacks were doing more damage than any of us had anticipated. Fortunately, when the battle had ended, Rowlet spotted a pile of berries on the ground, just beneath a nearby tree, and they were more than enough to revitalize him.

Actually, Rowlet looked incredibly strong now. He was bigger, too, and more pugnacious. Red was showing signs on improving strength as well, but it was nothing like what Rowlet appeared to be going through; he looked like he contained so much power, so much inner fire, that he was getting ready to burst.

{**_You seem awfully spunky, Rowlet. Are you excited for Ilima's Trial?_**}

"_Koo roo!_" my Beta replied, enthusiasm practically oozing out of him.

{**_Great. Because we're nearly there._**}

We shot through Route 3 as quickly as we could manage; only a few Spearow managed to get to us, but with Red's impressive flying moves, he picked them off easily, despite his type-disadvantage. Rowlet seemed eager to fight the Spearow, too, but I'd held him back, not wanting him to expend the energy needed for the trial.

Finally, we escaped the stone labyrinth, passed the Pokémon Center, then took a turn south. There it was; Verdant Cavern. And there was the trial captain we'd met the previous evening, waiting for us.

"Ah, you're here. Welcome!" he greeted us. "I hope you're ready to take on my Trial?"

I nodded.

"And your Pokémon? How are they faring?"

I released them both again to show them off. Ilima looked very impressed, if not ever so slightly intimidated by my two top-notch fighters.

"No doubt, you take your job as a Trainer quite seriously," he remarked. "Now, let's see just how well they manage during the trial. I must warn you; the Pokémon inhabiting Verdant Cavern are particularly fierce, so I wouldn't find it wise to venture forth without at least a small supply of healing items. Are you sure you don't want to head back and stock up on such things?"

I shook "no." The berry pile Rowlet had eaten from seemed to have sufficed, and Red had received very superficial damage in his fights with the Spearow. I didn't think it would be a problem.

"Very well, then. Follow me."

I followed him through the Trial gate, and into the cavern. It was comfortably cool inside, and the small amount of sunlight keeping it from being pitch black came through small crevasses and holes in the cavern roof. The place lived up to its name; it was lush with vegetation, and whatever wasn't overgrown with plants was covered in green moss.

"Allow me to explain your objective," the captain continued. "All you need to do is defeat the three Trial Pokémon that lurk in their dens, and then make your way up to the deepest part of the cave, where you will encounter the Totem Pokémon. The Totem is the fiercest out of all of the Pokémon in the cavern, so you will have to be perfectly in sync with your Pokwmon in order to defeat it."

It sounded simple enough.

"One more thing," he added. "Until the Trial is complete, you will not be able to catch Pokémon in Verdant Cavern. And while you can leave anytime you like during the Trial, keep in mind that you will have to start it over from the beginning when you return. Understand everything?"

I nodded.

"Then...Let the Trial begin."

The first den was relatively close to the start point, and the Pokémon was quick to emerge; another Yungoos. I called on Rowlet to take it on, seeing that this one did appear substantially stronger than most of the others I'd fought so far. The Yungoos might have been strong, but it was no match for my partner Pokémon, who was able to do it in with just two of his Leafage attacks. And the enemy's single Tackle did almost nothing.

{**_Nice going, Rowlet. If you keep this up, this should be a breeze._**}

Rowlet cooed happily as I returned him to his Poké Ball, and I picked up the scent of another Yungoos. The trail lead me past a large, moss-covered stone, and right to the opening to another den. I cawed for a Pokémon to come out; yet another Yungoos emerged, just as ferocious as the last.

"_Hissssss!_"

{_**Rowlet. Let's give this one a little variation!**_}

He started off with a more simple Tackle attack, and the Yungoos began to approach. We were expecting a counter Tackle, but instead, right when it came within a few inches of Rowlet, the enemy Pokémon turned tail and shot dust from the ground into his eyes. Rowlet screeched in irritation, trying to get the sand out of his eyes.

{**_Try Leafage this time around!_**}

Rowlet fired, but his obscured evision caused the leaves to miss their target. The Yungoos prepared another Tackle.

{_**Wait for my signal, Rowlet!**_}

Rowlet stood idly, rubbing out the sand from his eyes with his wings. The Yungoos was approaching fast; timing was everything.

{_**Wait for it...Wait for it...**_}

And just when it was within no more than three feet...

{_**NOW!**_}

Rowlet opened his wing and shot his array of glowing leaves, and this time, they hit their target-hard. The Yungoos collapsed in defeat, then, after a few moments, shakily stood back up and retreated back into its den.

{_**Just one left, Rowlet. Give the last one all you got before we take on the Totem Pokémon, alright?**_}

"_Koo...roo..._"

I took a better look at him; he was still trying to blink the dust out of his eyes. Seeing hin in a less than adequate condition for fighting at the moment, I began to reconsider my options.

{_**You know what? On second thought, why don't you take a bit of a rest before we fight the Totem? Red will do this last one for you.**_}

"_Koo? Koo roo!_" he hooted in protest, insisting that he was still good enough to fight.

{_**No, Rowlet. You need a break.**_}

He opened his beak again, readying a protest, but nothing came out. He looked away from me is shame and defeat.

{_**Once we get this last one out of the way, then you can fight again, alright?**_}

He nodded reluctantly before being returned to his Poké Ball, and we followed the path of the cavern up to another den opening. I took a peak inside, expecting another Yungoos to emerge and attack us, but it was vacant. Perhaps it'd seen what had become of its brethren, and made a hasty retreat?

I heard something moving on the outside of another den entry, on one of the upper ledges of the cave. I followed after it, and peered into the other den...still nothing. And now the noise began coming from the one I'd just left...Was the Pokémon trying to trick me?

I was beginning to get impatient, so I devised a plan; I called Red out, and explained to him what I had in mind.

{_**Listen, Red,**_} I rasped, as not to be overheard by the opposing Pokémon. {_**What I want you to do is just walk over to that den we were just at. If it hears you, it might think it's me outside, and it'll come out of this opening, and when it does, you come back on over so you can fight it. Get all that?**_}

The Hawlucha nodded in understanding.

{_**Alright. Go ahead.**_}

He made a quick jog over to the entryway, then proceeded to make a commotion, stomping his feet around the outside of it. The creature burrowed back into the earth, and I heard the sound if it's scurrying draw nearer.

"_I think it'zzz working!_" my PokéDex buzzed. I did agree, but motioned for him to cut back on the noise anyway, not wanting the plan to be foiled.

But it wasn't foiled in the least; the enemy Yungoos shot up out of the den I was standing at with a ferocious snarl...

Only it wasn't a Yungoos at all!

It was nearly twice the size of one, and when it fully emerged, it stood up on it's sturdy hind legs; something I had yet to see a Yungoos do. It's eyes were much more analytic and intelligent, not possessing the primitive savagery of the Pokémon I expected. But it _was_ the same color and of similar pattern to a Yungoos; maybe it was a different variety?

{_**Rotom. Scan.**_}

"_Bzzt! Gumshoos: the Stakeout Pokémon; the evolved form of Yungoos! They were imported to Alola from another region long ago to deal with an outbreak of Rattata, but since they're diurnal, they rarely get the chance to hunt them!_"

{_**Interesting.**_}

The Gumshoos stood its ground and stared at me intently.

{_**Red Karate Chop, now!**_}

Red bolted to my location, and with his impressive speed, rammed his clawed hand into the enemy before it even had the chance to react. The Pokémon took a beating from the attack, but was quick to regain its composure, and it stood right back up, shooting a glare at Red instead of attacking.

{**_What's it doing? Shouldn't it be attacking?_**}

"_I think I know what's going on!_" Rotom buzzed. "_It'zzz using its Bide Attack!_"

{**_Bide?_**}

"_When a Pokémon uses Bide, it doesn't attack for a while, and then when you least expect it, it unleashes double the damage it's received so far!_"

{_**Not if we keep it from getting the chance to attack! Red! One more Karate Chop! That oughta do it!**_}

Red landed his second attack right in the Gumshoos' abdomen-something enough to knock it down again, and keep it from getting up.

"_Right in the gut! That's a critical hit!_"

The Gumshoos lay motionless for several moments before getting back up. It looked...impressed, though still intimidated by us, and it retreated back into its hole.

That was the third and final challenge before the Totem Pokémon.

{_**Get ready,**_} I told Red as I returned him to his all. {**_...Both of you._**}

I hopped the ledges and approached the far exit to the cave. From where I stood, I could see daylight pouring into the cavern. Cautiously, I took my first few steps outside; it was like a large pit, broken, layered dirt walls encircling the area, and with somewhat barren ground. I sniffed around some, waiting for the Totem Pokémon to ambush me.

"_It sure is takin it'zzz sweet time, isn't it?_"

{_**The element of surprise,**_} I replied. {_**It's probably waiting for us to lower our guard.**_}

The sound of scurrying footsteps coming from behind caught my attention. I attempted to follow the source of the noise, scanning around the Totem's Den for the enemy; it felt as though it was running a wide circle around me, trying to catch me from behind. I had to keep looking.

And then, the faintest sound of shuffling feet came from the ledge above my head. I looked up...

There it was, its arms folded behind its back calmly, as though it had been standing there the whole time. It was a Gumshoos, like the last Trial Pokémon...but it was over twice the size of the latter.

"_Grrrack..._" it growled.

{_**What'd it say, Rotom?**_}

"_It said...'Prepare yourself.'_"

And just as suddenly as it had appeared, the Totem Pokémon leapt into the air, then landed right in front of me, a new, competitive ferocity entering its gaze.

It was ready to fight.

{_**Red! Let's do this!**_}

The Hawlucha emerged with an intimidating battle cry, then quickly fired up his Karate Chop attack.

{_**Make this one count! This one means business!**_}

As Red honed in for the attack, the Gumshoos engulfed itself in some sort of strange energy.

{_**What's that!?**_}

"_That's the Totem's aura! It boosts its Defense!_"

{_**That's not good...**_}

Red landed his attack...but it did far less than I anticipated. The Gumshoos took the chance to use its own move, but rather than attacking outright, it gave Red a sudden, venomous glare. He was obviously startled by this, and he moved back with unnaturally slow footing.

{**_Speed it up out there! Don't give it the chance to strike!_**}

"_Haw...Lucha._"

{_**Try a Wing Attack! Maybe if we whittle it down enough with weaker moves we can deal a good finishing blow!**_}

Red fired up his scarlet wings and closed in for the attack. The Totem Gumshoos countered by opening its mouth full of sharp teeth at the last moment and clamping down on it. Red screeched in pain and panic-and so was I, really.

{_**Karate Chop to the face!**_} I demanded. This time, the attack did considerably more damage, and managed to get the Gumgshoos' white fangs loose from the Hawlucha's wing.

{_**Good! Now! Hone Claws! We need to up our game!**_}

Red nodded, then began brushing his claws against each other. But the Totem Pokémon wasn't going to let him increase his power so easily. Just when his claws were sharpened, it sprinted right towards Red relentlessly, slamming into him with its entire body, a move that sent the feathered fighter careening through the air. If I hadn't moved aside in time, he would have crashed right into me.

"_R-rucha...Ruuu..._"

He was badly battered, and I could see a few drops of blood running down his wing from where the Gumshoos had bitten him. I pulled out Red's Poké Ball, preparing to return him, but as soon as he saw it, he hopped right back onto his feet, sending several screeches of protest my way. He wasn't going to give up; he refused to give up. But I had no idea how much longer he could handle.

I guessed I was about to find out.

{_**Alright, Red! Send him a series of Wing Attacks!**_}

Red ruffled the feathers on his head, then bolted at the enemy Pokémon with every bit of strength he had in him, sending one...two...three Wing Attacks into it. At that point, the Totem Pokémon looked as though it had lost more than a good half of its strength...But Red had lost far more.

The Gumshoos increased the distance between them by jumping back against the dirt wall of the cave, then pushed itself off, slamming into Red with twice the force as its last Tackle.

Red was sent hurtling through the air again, and he landed mere feet in front of me. This time, however, he wasn't even trying to stand back up. He lay there, motionless.

He really had given it his all.

I returned him back to his Poké Ball, and there was no arguing this time. I tucked it away in the safety of my pack, then pulled out my second Pokémon.

{_**I hope you have enough in you to finish this thing off, Rowlet,**_} I said to him as I threw his ball into the air. {_**Give it all you got!**_}

Rowlet emerged, the same fire in his black eyes as Red had.

{_**Start with your Astonish!**_}

"_Wait! That won't-_"

Rotom's warning was a moment too late. Rowlet screamed, firing up the move he'd learned on the way to the cavern, then struck the enemy with full force...

And did absolutely no damage.

The Gumshoos flashed me a mocking smile.

{_**W-what? What happened? Why didn't that do anything!?**_}

"_I tried to tell you! Ghost-Type Attackzzz don't work on Normal Types!_"

The enemy Pokémon bore its teeth again, and readied to give Rowlet a strong Bite Attack.

{_**Fly, Rowlet! Get out of it's range!**_}

Rowlet obeyed, soaring to a great enough height to evade most, if not all of the Totem's attacks.

"_Graaaack!_" the Gumshoos called out.

And then, to my horror, it's cry was answered. A Yungoos appeared seemingly out of nowhere, striking a menacing pose next to the Totem.

It had come to its aid.

{_**Oh, no. No, no, no, no, I can't deal with two of them at once! What do I do!?**_}

"_I have an idea!_" Rotom buzzed. "_Let's take out the Totem first, since it'zzz already been weakened, and then we try our luck with the Yungoos! It doezzzn't look too much stronger than the ones we fought on the way here!_"

{**_That...might actually work!_**}

And even if it didn't, it wouldn't have hurt to try.

{_**Rowlet! Fire up a Leafage and take down the Totem!**_}

My starter stooped his port wing and spiraled down towards the stronger of the two opponents, then opened his wings and let out an array of leaves. They struck the Gumshoos in the stomach-it's pressure point.

As the Totem Pokémon struggled to stand to its feet, Rowlet bolted at it again, without my instructions.

{**_Rowlet, wait! You're going to burn yourself out!_**}

I wasn't sure if he even heard me. He continued trying to barrage the enemy with Peck attacks, some of which hit and some of which missed. They were too weak, and the now very angry Gumshoos sent its claws into Rowlet's face, swatting him away like a fly. Rowlet tumbled backwards, looking stunned.

{_**Come on, Rowlet!**_} I called to him. {_**We can't lose now! We're so close!**_}

"_Koo...koo...roo..._"

And that was when I saw something in his gaze. His eyes, fixed and furious, shone so brightly with an intense energy that they were practically glowing.

{_**Rowlet, are...Are you...okay?**_}

"_Roo...Kroo...Krriiiill!_"

It wasn't my mind playing tricks on me; what I was seeing was real, but at the same time, I couldn't believe what was happening.

Rowlet-not just his eyes, but his entire body-was actually glowing.

The white light was getting stronger, and brighter, and from underneath it, I could just barely see Rowlet...

...Or what was _once_ Rowlet.

And that was when the glow dissipated to reveal something entirely different.

"_Trriill!_" it called out, and fired up a Leafage so powerful, it looked almost like an entirely different attack.

The leaves spread across the surrounding air, and fired at both the Totem Gumshoos and the ally Yungoos at a force I'd never seen before. The leaves struck their targets so hard, they sent a cloud of dust into the air, spreading across the battlefield.

And when the dust cleared, it revealed both enemy Pokémon, on the ground and completely unconscious; defeated.

And there was Rowlet.

But he wasn't a Rowlet anymore.

He had grown taller, and more slender, a far cry from the round ball of a bird I'd first seen him as. The brown feathers on his head and back had darkened, and his somewhat blunt beak had sharpened some. The two leaves just below his face had also grown, and now drooped somewhat, and there were two new leaves jutting out of the curves at the top of the facial disc; one was considerably longer than the other, and flowed gracefully down the length of the disc.

He turned around and flew toward me; he looked a lot calmer now, having lost the fiery glow in his eyes, the whites of which were now much more apparent.

{_**Rowlet...What happened?**_}

There was a moment of pondering silence between the two of us before Rotom shattered the silence, wearing the biggest smile across his screen.

"_I'll tell you what happened!_" he exclaimed. "_Our buddy Rowlet evolved!_"

I remembered Rotom mentioning that word as he described the Trial Gumshoos earlier. Was this what happened to a Pokémon when they reached a certain point in strength?

"_Kroo?_"

What used to be Rowlet cocked his head in confusion; was he afraid that I didn't like his new form?

{_**Rotom,**_} I ordered. {_**Give him a scan, please.**_}

"_Zzrt! Will do!_"

He hovered over the Pokémon for a few seconds before floating back to me.

"_Scan complete!_

_Dartrix: the Blade Quill Pokémon; the evolved form of Rowlet! Although it can be somewhat image-conscious, it's very sensitive to the movement of otherzz. It can fire at its enemiezzz with great precision without even having to look in their direction!_"

{_**'Dartrix,' huh?**_}

Rowle-"**Dartrix**" nodded before spreading his impressive wings and flying onto my head. He was only slightly heavier than he had been before.

"_Krrrroo?_" he inquired.

{_**What'd he say, Rotom?**_}

"_He wants to know if you like it._"

{**_...Dartrix...I think...I think you look great._**}

He let out an ecstatic trill, spun a circle around me and my PokéDex, then landed before me.

{_**Did we...finish the trial?**_}

"_I think so! It sure was a doozzy, wasn't it, Echo?_"

{_**It sure was...Thanks for pulling through the way you did, Dartrix. Now go ahead and take a break.**_}

He flashed a pleased grin as I returned him to his spherical containment.

{**_I'll give Red my compliments when we get to the Pokémon Center._**}

"_They both did a pretty good job out there, didn't they?_"

{_**You too, Rotom.**_}

"_Wha-Y-you're thanking _me? _What'd I do?_"

{**_Well, you know, if you weren't always giving me tips, I'd probably be lost on this whole Pokémon Trainer thing. I think now I see another reason why the Professor entrusted me with you._**}

"_R-really? What'zz that?_"

{_**Well, he knew that I was gonna need a guide of some sort, since I come from a place so different from here. And who could teach me about Pokémon better than a Pokémon itself?**_}

"_Huh...I guezzz you do have a bit of a point there._"

{_**I thought you'd agree. I've probably said this before, but I'm going to say it again; I'm glad that the Professor let you tag along with me, and I'm glad to have you around, Beta.**_}

His screen turned as red as the rest of his plastic PokéDex body.

"_Ah, shucks. I-I'm speechless._"

{**_Come on. Let's go break the good news to Ilima._**}

"_Yeah! Soundzzz good!_"

I turned tail and sprinted back out of the Totem's den...

...Only to be ambushed by two faces I hoped I would never see again.

"Gotcha!"

I jumped back in shock, which turned to realization, which in turn curdled into fear. The Team Skull grunts; they were back, and they were blocking the exit.

And they were angry.

"You weren't expectin' this, were ya?"

"We might be bad to the bone, but we know somethin', and that's that Team Skull knows how to make an entrance."

I began to back into the den. The last thing I wanted was another fight to break out between us, and as long as I kept my distance...

"Not so tough, now, are you?" one of them spat as the continued to approach. "Are you gonna comply, or are you gonna back all the way into the wall, like the scaredy-cat you are?"

"We ain't as stupid as you might think," the second one added. His tone was straight forward and cold. "There's a reason we waited until now to take you out. Once we caught wind of you comin' here for your trial, we sat and waited, and then when we heard you were gettin' ready to face the Totem, we made our move. Chased 'em off with everything we had, and it worked for now. The Totem Pokemon's a piece of work; we tried our hands at it back in our day, so we knew that when you finished, your Pokemon wouldn't be up to snuff. So we're gonna take our chance; we're gonna fight you, and you're gonna lose, and then..."

The grunt pulled a part of the black and white bandana away from the side of his face, revealing three deep, red lacerations running across it. My eyes widened in horror, and so did Rotom's.

"Then I'm gonna give you somethin' to remind you of this..._Scarface._"

"_Oh, no. Come on, fellazzz, it ain't worth it. Can't we just-_"

"Did I ask for your input, circuit-face? Step off, or I'll step on _you_."

The remark was enough to make Rotom go speechless.

{_**Slip into my bag, Rotom,**_} I ordered. {_**I'll keep you safe as best I can.**_}

The Electric-Type was swift to obey.

Now I'd back up so far that I was indeed up against the wall, and the two grunts had followed me right on over...

And away from the exit.

The exit wasn't blocked anymore!

I didn't waste any time. With one swift movement, I slid past them and bolted out of the den, then hopped over the ledges and ran back outside.

Unfortunately, the Team Skull grunts weren't going to give up quite so easily.

"There!"

"Let's get 'em!"

I continued out of the branch that lead back to Route 3, then turned south towards Hau'loi City. Maybe I could lose them somewhere among the buildings. But I could still hear them shouting from a ways behind; they weren't giving up chase yet.

I turned at another Pokémon Center, then ran past another, far larger building. As I continued by it, I slowed down, and began to look at it. It was...awfully big. And there were a lot of people inside, and a lot of what appeared to be large rooms, with a lot of different things inside of them. Maybe I could conceal myself among the crowd, and if not the crowd, the rooms.

I made up my mind; I went inside, desperately searching for an adequate place to hide. The humans were giving me odd looks, and I could hear their hushed remarks.

"What's that?"

"Never seen a Pokémon like that before, have you?"

"Is it wild!?"

"What's it doing here without a Trainer?"

"Should we do something? It looks upset, doesn't it?"

Hiding myself among the crowd was thrown out the window; I was the center of attention, so there was no doubt that at some point I'd be noticed by-

"You see which way she went?!"

"Naw, man. You head down that way. I'll check the mall."

"What you gonna do if she uses those dang steak knives or whatever on her hands again, man!?"

"I'll give her what for. She got claws, but I can tell she ain't got no guts."

_Oh, no..._

Panicked, I eyed the stairs leading to the second floor, cleared them in a single jump, then made my way into one of the larger rooms, scanning it for a way to make myself unseen.

The room was extremely large; larger than the interior of the Pokémon Centers. Almost like a building inside a building. And it was layered with rows and rows of the clothing that the humans wore. The first thing I tried was to fit behind one of the rows of flowered shirts, hoping it'd be enough to cover my scales. But the row was too short and too close up against the wall for me to fit inside without letting my tail stick out. And I'd made the stupid mistake of diving into the row too quickly; I ended up tangled in one of the flower-printed garments. I swiftly felt for a way out, then finally managed to push my arms through two holes in the shirt, which got me free and moving again. But I knew I was running out of time, so I dashed to another corner of the room; a bad decision. There were only shelves lined with hats, no place to hide myself.

"I know you're in here somewhere, punk!"

I instinctively grabbed one of the hats off the shelf and placed it over my mouth to muffle the terrified, high-pitched squeak that came out. He was close now.

As a last ditch effort, I squirmed my way into one of the shirt racks in the middle of the room; it was bigger than the one against the wall had been, and I managed to fit the length of my body inside. The only thing sticking out were my feet, and unless the grunt looked underneath everything, finding me should be difficult.

Just in time, too; I heard the sound of running footsteps drawing ever closer.

"Alright, peeps! I know y'all ain't blind so start answering! Who here's seen a brown scaly, scar-faced freak anywhere!?"

Of the few humans that were in the room, none of them gave a verbal answer. Perhaps they knew that he was up to no good.

"Well, if I don't get an answer, I'll find her myself. And if I find her in here, y'all are gettin' beat down!"

Through the small gaps in between the shirts, I could see him beginning to search the racks; he wasn't going to stop until he found me. And when he did, I'd have no choice but to defend myself with...

Wait...

That was when an idea struck me; maybe I didn't have to use my claws to defend myself. Maybe I could use something else I had going for me.

I was bigger than the grunt, and stronger, but the catch was that he thought I was a coward. Maybe I could stand up for myself...without having to actually use my claws or teeth? The sight of them was scary enough, wasn't it?

Again, the little voice inside my head began to whisper to me.

_Lie in wait. When he comes close enough, make your move._

I decided to listen to it. I was developing a plan; one that didn't involve any violence.

I saw him walking over to the rack I was in, following along the line, passing my tail, then my torso, and then, he was right next to my head, looking in every direction but directly at me. I could see him.

But he couldn't see me.

And that was when I took action.

I stuck my head through the garments...

And screamed.

And it worked.

The grunt was scared clean out of his skin, so much that he ended up losing his footing and falling onto the floor.

I took the opportunity to fully emerge for my hiding, emitting as many threatening snarls, growls, and screams as I could, and making sure to bare my rows of pointed teeth.

"No, no, no. Get back!" he plead.

{_**Don't you remember what happened last time you and I met?**_} I snarled; I knew he wouldn't understand it directly, but the sound it came out as was enough to scare anybody.

"I'll mess you up bad! I'll tell all my homies about you and we'll-"

{**_Not if I stop you._**}

I was practically on top of his now, and I pushed his head down by stepping on it, the large, curved claw positioned as far away from his neck as I could manage; I didn't want any accidents to happen with it.

But he didn't know that I had no plans to actually use it.

"Lemme go! Come on, you're better than this! If the Kahuna's kid likes you that much, you don't wanna disappoint him, do ya!? Mercy! Mercy!"

The voice inside my head spoke to me again.

And what it said was hauntingly familiar.

_Kill him._

But I didn't want to. It was the same voice that had told me to attack him the other day. I didn't want that to happen again.

And that was when another, different voice said something else. I wasn't sure it was coming from my head, though; it sounded more like it was coming from...

...somewhere else. Deep inside.

_Let him go now. You've done well enough._

And that was the voice I listened to.

I took my foot off of his head and stepped away giving the grunt space. His immediate reaction was to scramble back onto his feet and flee, and he didn't even so much as look back at what he was running from.

The people in the building(there were five; two at the front desk and three bystanders) all turned their attention to me.

"Wow," one of them remarked. "She just scared the pants off that guy."

"I hate those Team Skull thugs! She's alright in my book!"

"As long as she doesn't do the same thing to us," the final bystander added.

I swiftly responded by shaking "no;" a gesture I knew they would understand.

"She understands us?"

"That's one cool Pokémon."

"Yeah! Nice work!"

I couldn't believe it. The humans were...

Applauding me.

I never thought I would receive so much praise from something so petty; all I was doing was acting in self-defense. But here I was, being cheered on by the small group of humans that had witnessed what I did.

"Ah...So you got him to leave you be, did you?"

The familiar voice came from just outside the clothing area; it was Captain Ilima, and he looked somewhat out of breath.

"I...followed you here. Those two numbskulls threw so many threats my way once you'd entered the Totem's den, I knew it wouldn't be...all that safe to stay. You, though...you not only defeated the Totem Pokémon with flying colors, but I see that you've also managed to get those Team Skull grunts off your tail quite efficiently."

{_**But there were two of them. What about the other one that went down the road? Won't they be coming back this way if the other grunt tells him where I'm at?**_}

"Ah...I'm sorry...Where is your PokéDex at?"

"_Mmph! I'm in here!_"

His muffled voice came from inside my bag, and I felt him wriggle his way out of it and come back out into the open.

"_What she's trying to say is that she'zz worried of what might happen if the grunts come back! The one knowzzz where she's at now, and he'll probably bring some back up!_"

"Oh. I see; that _is_ a problem. We best relocate. How does the Pokémon Center next door sound? That way, we could throw them off for a bit, and if they do find us, both of our Pokémon will be fighting fit by that time, and we can give them a bit of comeuppance."

I nodded; it sounded like a good idea.

"Now that I understand."

"_I heard a lot of screaming out there, Echo. What'd you do to that guy; just scare him? It sounded like he got away alright._"

{_**That wall all I did; I thought that if I acted the part, I might be able to chase him away**_}

"_Ooh, that'zzz smart! You really are a clever girl! And you're...uh...wearing a shirt?_"

{_**What?**_}

I looked down at myself; the pink, flower-print shirt I'd gotten stuck in was in fact on me.

"And a hat as well, might I add."

He was right; upon feeling around the top of my head, I did find the hat I'd used to muffle my screams there, and I pulled it off to examine it. The rim was bowled, and there was a synthetic reddish-pink flower attached to the green ribbon going around it, complete with leaves.

"You know something, Echo, you don't look half bad."

{_**I don't?**_}

"_Zzt! Yeah! Why don'tcha take a look at yourself in the mirror over there, partner?_"

All I had to do was turn my head, and there was my reflection on the opposite wall. I scanned everything from the top of my head down to the claws on my feet, turning this way and that, noting everything from the garments I was wearing to the soft indigo stripes running down to the tip of my tail, and to my large, cunning yellow eyes, then all the way up to...

The jagged, white line running down the side of my face, starting from the slope of the snout and running down to just below the lip of the lower jaw; the exact same place that Blue had ran her sickle claw along in our fight for dominance all those years ago.

The scar.

I ran one of my claws along the line, and a deep feeling of regret washed over me. If only I had thought twice...but I did have seconds thoughts, during the fight itself. I had only made the stupid mistake of not listening to them, and now I'd been cursed with...

"_Y-you okay, bud?_"

{_**This is what you were talking about last night, isn't it?**_}

"_...Yeah. B-but it's not that bad, you know? I mean, like I said; it's only really noticeable if you're staring right at it for long periodzzz of time!_"

{_**I...guess you're right, but, still. Everytime I see it, I'll end up thinking of...**_}

"_Hey. Cheer up, bucko. The past is in the past; you're hangin' with us now, remember?_"

I shook my head as though to expel the less-than-pleasant thoughts running through it. Rotom was right; the past was in the past.

"I got a few bucks on me," the trial captain continued. "What's say I get you those? I bet the Professor and his assistant would find them appealing."

I nodded eagerly, and he did just that.

As we headed out of the Hau'loi City Mall for the Pokémon Center, I reflected back on everything I'd accomplished so far, feeling like I'd gone from the bottom all the way to the top. I had three reliable Pokémon, human friends that had my back, and me and my team were getting stronger every minute. I felt like I could accomplish nearly anything...

But then I remembered...

I could almost feel the scar twinge in pain; what if I got so hungry for power that I...turned on everybody? I'd done it to Blue, so what was stopping me from...

No. No, no, no, I wouldn't do such a thing. That was a long time ago. I'd learned my lesson; besides, we were so young back when that happened. I'd wizened up since then. What made me think that I was capable of doing anything like that?

But then I remembered the grunt that had chased me into the mall, and the reason behind it.

I looked down the side of my face at the white line; perhaps what I'd done all those years ago would actually do me good, serving as a reminder of what had happened when I tried to climb the ranks the way I had, and guiding me away from the wrong path. Hopefully, it would serve that good purpose.

And, hopefully, the scars I'd given the hooligan human would do the same for him.


	10. Chapter 8: Trial and Error

{_**How long's it been since we came here?**_}

"_Pushing twenty minutezzz. I don't think they're coming back anytime soon!_"

I hoped he was right. It only took a few minutes to heal our Pokémon at the front counter, and another handful to stock up on healing items at the Poké Mart, and now we were all sitting at the café, waiting for them to storm in. But the grunts hadn't shown their faces yet, and we weren't sure how much longer it would take them if they were still roaming around out there, looking for us. Perhaps the place we chose to hide was so obvious to them that they'd assumed we hadn't chosen such a stupid hiding spot, and had gone to look elsewhere. But thinking about it that way, the stupid location was actually quite genius.

"In that case, I'd say it'd be safe to leave at this point and make out way back to Iki Town," Ilima commented, casually taking a sip of the lemonade he'd ordered from the café. "The Kahuna will be pleased to hear about your victory."

{_**I'll have Dartrix take a peek and give us the signal; just in case.**_}

I called my starter out of his Poké Ball and gave him the order.

"_Krrrroo,_" he responded, coolly and compliantly. He'd seemed to have calmed down a bit ever since he'd evolved; perhaps he'd been storing all of the energy I'd seen accumulate in him as a Rowlet so he could use it to obtain his new, stronger form.

Dartrix went through the automatic doors, then returned less than a minute later and gave us a nod and a smile.

"_Guess it's safe! Let'zzz head out now before those thugs change their minds!_""

I didn't bother returning my starter to his spherical confines; he seemed pleased to simply fly above us as we made our way back down the road towards the outskirts. Besides, watching him fly kept me from running too fast, so I didn't end up leaving everyone in the dust.

It wasn't long before we found ourselves entering through the Iki Town gates, and I barked once to announce my presence to the villagers. And the first one to answer the call was not the Kahuna, but the next best thing.

"Hey, bud! Over here!"

Hau looked particularly excited, though for what reason I wasn't sure. But there was only one way to find out, so I approached him and gave him another bark of greetings.

"Wow...Almost didn't recognize you at first, with that new getup. Looks even better up close; I had no idea somethin' as cool-lookin' as you would look so good in pink."

I glanced off to the side. I couldn't help but feel flustered by the compliment.

"But anyway, you wanna see somethin' awesome?"

I nodded, and he held a Poké Ball in his hand...which I suddenly realized was wrapped in a white cloth, the same kind that was around my middle; it was fastened securely around his hand, and extended down the arm a ways past the wrist. Come to think of it, wasn't that the same arm that I'd accidentally...

My hands rose up to my mouth in shock at the sight of what I'd done, something that Hau caught onto.

"Hey, hey, Echo, it's okay; you didn't mean it, bud. Besides, it's not too bad. Doesn't even hurt anymore."

I cocked my head and gave him a skeptical look; I just wanted to be sure he wasn't feigning it.

"Yes, I'm sure it doesn't hurt. It's okay...Now, you wanna see what I got?"

I nodded, and Hau responded by tossing the Poké Ball, releasing whatever was inside. What came out wasn't his Popplio, rather a Pichu; I recognized the species from when I battled against it earlier.

"_...chu?_" it squeaked, rubbing its tired eyes. When it opened them and looked up at me, though, they shot right open. The Pichu squealed in terror, then hid behind Hau.

"Found this little guy just outside the gate. He looked pretty beat up, so I took him in to patch him up and he stuck to me like glue. Figured I might as well make him the latest addition to the team, you know? Plus, Popplio has a new playmate!"

The Pichu peeked out from behind his trainer, its horrified gaze flashing recollection.

{_**Rotom, you don't think that's the same Pichu we fought earlier, is it?**_}

"_Zzt! It just might be! It does look sort of familiar!_"

"Yo, what's going on, guys?"

"_We fought againzzt that Pichu earlier this morning! Echo didn't want to catch it, though; didn't think it would be strong enough for the, uh...pack, and she didn't want it ending up hurt all of the time._"

"Fair enough; your loss, though. But as long as we don't overdo it, this little guy is gonna pack a punch someday!"

I nodded approvingly; besides, it seemed like the Pichu would get along better with the human than with me, seeing what it'd done when I'd first encountered it.

Speaking of stronger Pokémon...

I called for Dartrix, who was still hovering above the treetops, and he stooped down and landed beside me; it was my turn to show my Pokémon off.

"_Trrrill!_" he called.

"Whoa! Rowlet evolved! That's awesome!"

Dartrix nodded at him, tossing his head as though to show off the flowing leaf on his head.

"Dang...Well, one thing's for sure; he'll come in pretty handy when you go up against my gramps."

I let out a curious chitter.

"You gotta fight him if you wanna finish the Melemele Challenge. Good news is that he's a Fighting-Type user, and your Flying-Types serve as pretty good checks. I haven't actually tried my hand at it yet; I'd have to do Ilima's trial first."

"Well, you're welcome to come to Verdant Cavern whenever you get the chance, Hau," the captain stated from behind me. "And I am pleased to inform you that our scaly friend here has cleared the trial with flying colors. Ha...if you'll pardon the pun, seeing what her team looks like."

"You finished already? Man; I thought you would have had to go through that at least twice! I haven't battled against the Totem Gumshoos yet, but I have watched the cap' here train it up, so I've seen it in action, and lemme tell ya; it's not somethin' to mess around with."

I nodded in agreement. The Totem Pokémon had in fact nearly beaten us, but we were a hair ahead, and Rowlet's evolution into Dartrix had certainly helped the matter.

"_We were about to announce our victory to him now!_" my PokéDex stated. "_You happen to know where he izzz?_"

"Sure thing, lil' fella. In fact, howzabout I go and get him for you guys?"

I gave another nod, and he ran over to one of the larger houses closer to the wooden battle stage.

I stood in the center of the village, just before the arena, waiting. It was silent for a few moments, but then...

Rotom's blocky arms rose to cover his mouth, and he wore a very amused expression.

{_**What's so funny?**_}

"_I-I just realized something,_" he muttered, trying fairly hard to contain his laughter. "_The bag the Professor gave you is UNDER that shirt._"

I turned my head so I could see for myself; the bag looked like a lump of some sort under the pink and white fabric.

{_**Is it not supposed to be that way?**_}

"_No! It's not! And that's what makezz it funny!_"

* * *

_..._

* * *

When the Kahuna came out, he asked me a few questions regarding what was to be between the two of us, mainly about what I'd learned in my training so far, and whether or not I would be up to the challenge right at the moment. He even gave me the chance to go prepare before the battle.

In the end, I decided that it would be wise to wait until the evening for the Grand Trial. Besides, the heat was beginning to get to me again; the Professor had said that it was going to be cooler than the previous day, but I still didn't want to risk a repeat of yesterday when I collapsed at the door to the Research Lab. Besides, and the escapades from earlier had begun to wear me out.

Hau had agreed to accompany me back to the lab again, and we gave the news of the upcoming trial to Lillie and the Professor. As expected, they were immensely impressed.

"You're goin' on to the Grand Trial already!? That rules!"

"That's wonderful! I hope you do well when the time comes!"

"I think she's gonna nail it, fellas," Hau replied to them. "She's got two Flying-Types on her."

"Yeah, but keep in mind; your grandfather has a few tricks up his sleeve for dealing with those. Even with the type advantage, she should still watch her back. I've got a few extra potions stored away; maybe you could use 'em for the battle this evening, bud?"

{_**Potions?**_}

He explained to me that they were used for healing Pokémons' battle injuries by spraying them onto the wounds, and they would instantly heal them, and therefore instantly restoring some, if not all of the Pokémon's lost fighting capacity. He ran down to the lab, then returned with several.

"Stick these in your bag. That's four regular Potions and a Super one. They'll come in handy when you take on the Kahuna."

I nodded in appreciation, and we all attended to our own business afterward.

The next few hours were fairly uneventful; me and my Pokémon ended up passing an hour or so napping, and not long afterward, the Professor took me down to the lab and gave me something called an "X-ray." He said that he could use it to see my bones, and the image he showed me afterward proved he was right; I had an odd-looking skeleton, that was for sure.

"You're middle's healin' up pretty nicely. I think it's about time we take those bandages off, yeah?"

I had quickly agreed to this; the linen dressing had begun to feel somewhat constricting, and once that had been taken care of, I had made sure to put the floral-print shirt on before the bag. I was glad Rotom had pointed that out earlier, or I may have made the same mistake again(granted, when I had gotten myself into the shirt, I was in a bit of a panic, and I wasn't concerned with formality.)

I spent some more time hanging around the lab by myself, taking the books on the shelf into interest. I had opened one of them, and it turned out to be about Pokémon moves, explaining the different kinds of battle moves-Physical Attacks, Special Attacks, and Status Moves, in great detail. I was just finishing a paragraph on the different stats and how they effect a move's power when an odd noise caught my attention.

"_Pew!_"

I raised my head up and scanned the lab area; nothing seemed out of place, but I knew that I hadn't heard that noise anywhere before. My curiosity peaked, I closed the book and stood up to investigate. I sniffed, and I noted a very faint, yet unfamiliar scent. It was a smooth, soft scent, and it seemed like it was coming from somewhere by the metal table I'd found myself on upon my arrival.

"_What do you think that wazzz?_"

{_**I don't know, but I'm inclined to find out.**_}

I let Dartrix out of his Poké Ball and gave him an order, just to be safe.

{_**Dartrix, scan the lab for anything out of the ordinary. If it's safe, give us a signal.**_}

"_Krrroo,_" he responded compliantly before fluttering over to the table.

"_Hey...Come to think of it, I think I've heard that sound before. Up until you came along, I'd been hanging around the lab. The Professor usually had me separated from the other Pokémon, but I could see what he did with them during his research. But sometimes I heard that noizze, usually when Lillie was in the lab with him, and during some of the test runs with the PokéDex here, I asked the Professor about it. He always said it was nothing important...but I wonder what the big secret's all about?_"

{_**I guess we're about to find out ourselves.**_}

"_Kroooo!_"

Dartrix sounded off and motioned for us to come over, and he eyed something behind the table. I quietly trotted over to where he was standing, then bent down to match his height.

And there was the weirdest-looking Pokémon I'd seen yet.

It essentially resembled a sentient puff of sparkling smoke or dust, and I couldn't tell if it was more blue or more purple. It's bright yellow eyes stood out on its dark face, and its mouth was opened in a little "o" of surprise.

{_**Do you think it'd understand us?**_}

"_I mean, probably. Dartrix, how 'bout you say something to it?_"

The Blade Quill Pokémon let out a series of soft, trilling hoots to communicate with the creature, and it wasn't long before it's mouth curved up into a smile.

"_Pew, pew!_" it squeaked.

{_**What about me? D-do you know what I'm saying?**_}

The Pokémon nodded, tilting its entire round, gaseous body forward and back.

{_**Where'd you come from?**_}

"_Pew?_"

{**_Do you live here with Lillie and the Professor?_**}

It nodded again, emitting another happy-sounding noise.

So it did live here at the lab. But for how long had it been here without anyone knowing? Not even Dartrix seemed familiar with the Pokémon; odd, seeing that he had been in the lab as a subject of the Professor's research for at least a while before I even arrived. Had the two humans been hiding it for some reason?

"Oh, no! Nebby!"

Lillie's unmistakable voice came from the stairway, and she rushed over to the small puff of a Pokémon.

"Nebby! What are you doing down here!? You know you're not supposed to go wandering around like that! Especially now that we have..."

She looked up at each of the three of us, her face somewhat contorted with frustration, yet also red with humiliation.

"...people here.

And then she stepped in front of the floating ball of sentient gas, as though to conceal it from view, and looked at all of us right in the eye.

"Uh, you guys! What just happened wasn't of your concern at all! Just...forget about it! Okay? It was nothing."

Me, Rotom and Dartrix all exchanged odd looks with one another, and I deduced that we were all thinking the same thing; that wasn't nothing. That was a Pokémon, or at least something similar to one. And it was apparent that Lillie didn't want us near it, which further confirmed my suspicions.

We didn't bother trying to hide our skeptical faces, so Lillie saw right through them.

"I...guess you're all wondering about what just happened, aren't you?"

Dartrix and I gave discernible nods, and Rotom responded verbally.

"_What'zzz the deal, huh? I know I've heard that Pokémon's cry before since I've been here! Why'd you guys keep it secret?_"

"It's...it's hard to explain, but now that the Meowth's out of the bag, I suppose I have no choice. I'll go get the Professor; he can probably tell it better than I can."

She returned to the first floor, and we were called up there before long. We sat in the living room as the Professor gave the explanation.

"It's a long story, but bear with me. When Lillie first showed up here at the lab, she had Nebby with her; she said something about it using some sort of teleportation, is that right, Lillie?"

"...That's right."

She was somewhat hesitant to answer; I wasn't sure why she seemed so upset with us knowing what we did, but I supposed we were going to find out soon.

"Anyway, it took a while, but she warmed up to us here at the lab eventually, and she told us what the deal was with the Pokémon. She said she was being pursued by people who wanted it for the wrong reasons, and she had to hide it in order to keep them both safe. Little fella's never far out of our sight, and sometimes we even had to keep it in, uh...tight spaces so it wouldn't go wandering off somewhere it shouldn't be. Apparently, it decided it'd be fun to go explore the lab, and there you guys were."

"_So that'zzz why you guys have been keeping it a secret!_"

"That's right. Only we and Kahuna Hala know about it, and we don't want that number getting much higher. Can you guys keep a secret well enough?"

"_Bzzt! Can do, Professor! What about you, Echo?_"

{_**You don't need to worry about that with me...for obvious reasons.**_}

"_Oh, yeah. Right._"

"What'd she say, Rotom?"

"_That's exactly her point!_"

{**_Don't rub it in, Rotom..._**}

"_Ah, heh...Sorry._"

"But anyway, as long as you guys don't go all over the place telling everyone about it, we don't have anything to worry about. Even if most of the people here in Alola can be trusted, you never know who might be a bad apple in the bunch. Especially those Team Skull goons; remember to be careful around them, okay, Echo? I know you've been able to handle yourself in the few run-ins you've had with them, but you never know what they might try to pull next, even if they aren't very bright..."

I nodded solemnly.

"Good. Lillie, do you have any input?"

"Well...I guess I just wanted to thank you for keeping what you know about Nebby to yourselves. I'm sorry if I was a little apprehensive back there. I'm just...really worried about what might happen if it's seen by the wrong people..."

The Pokémon floated out from behind her and looked up at me. It didn't seem frightened, so I bent down to sniff it. If...if the night sky had a scent about it, this would be it.

The creature grinned, and I attempted to nudge it with the tip of my snout; what I touched wasn't quite solid, but not quite gas, almost like dipping my nose in a cool, dry fog.

"I think it likes you well enough, I'll say that," the Professor commented. "That's a plus."

"Yeah. As long as this stays between all of us, it should be alright...right?"

I nodded in response to her concern.

"Okay. Good...um...Th-thank you guys."

"_I, ah...guess I'm not allowed to scan it, am I?_"

"Not right now, Rotom. Maybe some other time," the Professor replied.

Not much else happened in between then and dusk; I assisted the Professor in the lab while he studied Nebby's physical properties, which was amusing for the short time it lasted. It turned out that Poké Balls did work on the creature, confirming its status as a Pokémon.

"Not gonna keep it in there, though; lil' fella technically belongs to my assistant as of now."

I nodded in understanding, and watched as the Professor fiddled with the Poké Ball; within moments, Nebby was washed in a vivid, blue light. I expected something to happen to the Pokémon, as when one underwent evolution, but the glow simply dissipated, leaving Nebby the same as it was before.

I tilted my head in confusion; what had just happened? The Professor seemed to catch onto my thoughts.

"I released it. You can release a Pokémon if you're not going to be using it for some reason."

I tilted my head the other way, as attempt to ask for examples of such a case.

"Well, say a Pokémon you just caught doesn't want to listen to you, or if you just catch it to record it in your PokéDex, so you won't be using it to battle. Thos are a few instances where you might release a Pokémon."

I nodded again; it made more sense now.

"I think that's all that need be done for now," he continued. "You go on ahead and entertain yourself.

I had my head stuck in several of the Professor's scientific books for a while after that; not much of what was written in them made much sense to me, but I decided to use what I could comprehend. One of the books talked about things called "Abilities," and described them as special traits that different Pokémon possess that give them certain skills on the battlefield. Upon reading through the glossary of Pokemon and the Abilities they could possess per individual species, I found that Dartrix could have one of two abilities, Overgrow and Long Reach; the former increased the power of Grass-Type moves when the Pokémon was at low health, and the latter nullified the effects of "direct contact" with another Pokémon that either had a specific Ability or was holding an item that could cause damage upon direct contact. Hawlucha could have one of two Abilities as well; Limber, which prevented the Paralysis status condition, and Unburden, which essentially doubled speed when the Pokemon used up an item in battle.

I found all of this, and anything else I was able to make sense of on Pokémon moves, types and matchups, very interesting. So much so that I would have done it the entire rest of the evening if the Professor had not alerted me to the time.

"You gonna hit the Grand Trial soon? It's gonna be getting dark here in a while."

And as soon as he said it, I bolted my head up from the book, double-checked to make sure I had all of my Pokémon, grabbed Rotom, scurried up the stairs and headed straight out the door, making a mad dash toward Iki Town.

"Hey, wait! It's not that late! You got time!"

I didn't even process what he'd said until I was already there. I slowed down to a walk, and was about to inform the Kahuna that I was ready for the final Melemele Trial, when I heard his voice coming from behind me.

"So, you came."

It's seemingly unnatural seriousness sent a chill down my spine. Nonetheless, I turned to face him, and there he was.

"I assume you've prepared yourself well enough?"

I nodded. I could get past his Fighting-Types with my two trusty bird Pokémon, even with the tricks he supposedly had up his sleeve. Plus, I had potions in case things got hairy, so needless to say, I felt pretty confident in my abilities.

"Very well. Meet me at the arena when you're ready."

He made his way to the wooden platform where the Pokémon battles were held, and I followed almost directly behind him. He stepped up onto the east side of the raised ground, and I did the same on the west, directly across from him.

"Hm...I can see you're quite eager to do this."

I nodded energetically.

"...Very well."

"Hey! Echo!"

The Professor and his assistant had finally caught up to me. They were just in time to witness the battle.

"She's...She's gonna do it," he marveled.

"Hey! What's all the hubbub out here!?"

The last voice belonged to Hau; he'd apparently heard the Professor call my name. And now he was going to witness the battle.

"Oh, man..." he said, realizing what was happening. "This is gonna be epic!"

"_Need any tips?_" my PokéDex asked me. "_This izz probably going to be a tough one!_"

{_**Actually,**_} I replied. {_**I think I wanna try this one without your help and see how well it goes over.**_}

"_Oh. Okay, then. But if you really need me, I'll be on the sidelinezz!_"

"Echo!" the Kahuna boomed. "Show me the full power of your Pokémon! Old Kahuna Hala won't be holding back! Let the Grand Trial begin!"

He pulled out his first Poké Ball and sent out his first fighter.

"Mankey! Focus Energy!"

The Pokémon emerged; it was small, beige and round, its eyes conveying a sort of primitive, uncontrolled rage. It pumped itself up for the oncoming fight.

{_**Red! Give it one of your Wing Attacks!**_}

My Halwucha came out, then immediately made himself airborne, one of his wings glowing white, and slammed it right into the enemy Pokémon. It sent the Mankey flying across the arena, and almost directly into its Trainer. The Fighting-Type struggled to get back onto its feet; the one attack had already taken most of its strength away. One more hit should do it in nicely.

{_**We're at an advantage, Red! Now's the time to use Hone Claws!**_}

Not only would Hone Claws power him up for the following opponent, but it would make absolutely sure of the Machop's defeat with the next hit. And if he took any considerable damage, I would just use one of the Potions the Professor gave me to patch him back up again, so there was potential that Red might be able to sweep his whole team.

But it turned out that I wasn't the only one with Potions.

The Kahuna pulled one out and sprayed the site of the attack wound we'd inflicted, and in an instant, it disappeared, restoring the enemy to its full strength. The human saw the shock on my face.

"You expect me to just have him take it? Ho! Think again, Trainer. Now! Mankey! Karate Chop!"

{_**One more Wing Attack! We've got a boost!**_}

Red ruffled his feathers, then went in for the attack, his wings glowing white again. It was strong enough to counter the enemy's Karate Chop, and it dealt considerablely more damage with the Hone Claws buff I'd ordered.

The Mankey stumbled backward, then finally collapsed; it was drained.

"Mankey! Return! Makuhita! Show 'em what for!"

His second Pokémon entered the arena; also round, but yellow, and it looked...very vaguely humanoid.

{_**Keep it up, Red! Try a Karate Chop; we need a little variation!**_}

The Hawlucha honed in, his clawed hand glowing bright red. It looked like he had this attack in the bag.

But then, just when Red was a mere foot away from his opponent...

"Fake Out!"

The Makuhita slapped its open palms barely an inch away from Red's face. He lost focus, and stumbled backwards, rubbing his stunned eyes.

{**_Red!_**}

"Now's our chance! Hit 'em with your Sand Attack!"

"_...Cha?_"

Red opened his eyes again, only for the enemy to kick up a cloud of dust into them.

"_CHA!_" he exclaimed, agonized by the stinging sensation.

"Arm Thrust! Let's go!"

The Makuhita continued to slam his open palms into my blinded fighter.

{_**Red! Take to the skies!**_}

My struggling Hawlucha obeyed, and he managed to get his hands away from his eyes to spread his wings and fly.

{**_Now! Shake off that and Attack and go in for Wing Attack! We need to make this a one-hit KO!_**}

I saw Red stop flapping, and as he began to plummet from the great height, he rubbed the last of the sand out of his eyes. He turned his freefall into a dive, then, with the precision of an arrow, slammed his glowing claws directly into the enemy. When the dust cleared, it revealed the Makuhita lying dead-out on the wooden stage.

Kahuna Hala was visibly awestruck; he probably wasn't expecting me to be quite as strong as I was.

"I still have one more Pokémon! Crabrawler! Leer!"

His final Pokémon was sent out. It was purple and yellow, with very large, blue pincers, and a peering look in its eye. It sent a sharp glare right at my Hawlucha.

"Lu...lucha," he grumbled, trying not to look the enemy directly in the eye. He wasn't low on health, but he was pretty worn out from the Makuhita, and his eyes still strained to remain open after the Sand Attack.

{_**Red. You've done well. Take a break.**_}

I returned him to his Poké Ball, then pulled out the one belonging to my Beta.

{_**Dartrix! Give 'em your Peck and see how much it does!**_}

"_Trrrrrill!_" he screeched, unphazed by the enemy's gaze.

"Pursuit!"

When Dartrix approached, the opposing Pokémon wound up its pincer, then sent it slamming into his face when he drew near enough.

"_Kroo!_"

It knocked my Flying-Type back, but other than that, it did superficial damage.

{_**Show 'em your Razor Leaf!**_}

My partner obeyed, summoning a flurry of sharp leaves and sending them hurdling towards the Crabrawler at full speed. It tried to block the attack with its giant claws, but its attempts were futile; it took most of the attack, and it did a number on it. The creature stumbled as it tried in vain to shake off the damage.

We had it right where we wanted it.

{**_Go! Peck!_**}

Dartrix fired up his sharp beak, flapped his wings, then flew full force at the enemy. The Crabrawler tried again to block the attack, but it raised its pincer a moment too late, and our Peck attack slammed right into its middle.

The Fighting-Type flew across the wooden arena, and landed at the Kahuna's feet, fainted.

We won.

The Island Kahuna's face portrayed pure shock; his entire team had been demolished, and neither of my Pokémon were even on the verge of fainting.

"I've...never seen such raw power before from someone so inexperienced," he marveled. "Even with the type advantage."

He looked up to me.

"Echo...You really are something special, you know that? You and your Pokémon."

"She did it..." the Professor mumbled. "The crazy son of a gun, she did it..."

The Kahuna returned his Crabrawler, then approached. I met him halfway across the arena, Dartrix close behind.

"I would hereby like to congratulate you on your victory, Trainer. If you would let me see your passport, I will mark that you have completed the Grand Trial of Melemele Island, granting you access to the trials on Akala Island.

I pulled my passport out of the bag, handed it to the human, and watched as he pulled something out from his coat and press it down on one of the pages, then proceeded to write something on it. He handed the open passport back to me for me to see what he'd done to it.

There was a large, yellow stamp on the page, displaying what vaguely looked like Tapu Koko's shell, and writing that read:

"**Melemele Trial Completion**"

"**With this stamp, all Pokémon up to Lv. 35 will obey your every command.**"

"Well done," he finished.

"That. Was. AWESOME!"

Hau came up onto the arena to congratulate me.

"How'd you even do that!?" he spouted. "None of your Pokémon even fainted! Y-you didn't even use any healing items!"

"I'd say she must have trained her team quite a bit," the Kahuna replied. "There have been Trainers in the past that have tried to defeat me with the strategy of using only Flying-Types, but none of them quite compared to this; regardless of whether they won or lost."

"Heh...Sorry if I was...rooting for her instead of you."

"Don't be, my boy. I'm just as proud of her as you are."

"Really?"

"Besides, you're next, don't you know? I doubt you'll be cheering me on then! Ha!"

"Oh. Yeah. I am, aren't I?"

"_Hey! Congratzzz on the win!_" Rotom buzzed, whizzing around my head. "_You were incredible!_""

{_**I think I'm getting the hang of this, don't you?**_}

"_You said it! You didn't even need me to give you any pointerzzz this time around!_"

"So, Echo," the Professor said to me. "Now that you've finished your trial on Melemele, are you gonna head on up to Akala Island here soon?"

{_**Akala Island...**_}

I turned to look at each of my human companions; I wasn't sure if I wanted to leave them all behind just yet. Especially Hau, who'd taken such a liking to me, right from the start.

And frankly, I felt very much the same.

{_**Rotom. Translate.**_}

And I explained my plans to them.

"_Uh...She says that she doezzzn't want to explore the other islands alone, so...She's gonna wait until Hau finishes his Grand Trial so she can have a travel buddy!_"

"Really? It could be a few more days until I actually manage to beat him, you know. I don't wanna keep you waiting."

I continued.

"_What's that? Oh. She says it's perfectly fine, and that she can uzzze the extra time to train some more! And that..._"

"And that what?"

"_She says that you're her best friend, and that she wouldn't leave you behind no matter what!_"

"Huh? Really?"

It was the first time I'd ever seen Hau look even remotely embarrassed.

"Well, ghee wiz, pal. We've only known each other for a couple days," he replied, managing somewhat of a laugh. "You really think I'm your best friend?"

I nodded.

"Well...Y-you know what? Yeah! Your my best friend, too! Come 'ere, you!"

He locked his arm around my head and pulled my hat over my eyes, much to my surprise.

"Weren't expecting that, were ya?"

I shook my head, straightened my hat, then assumed a pouncing position.

{_**So that's how you wanna play, huh?**_}

"Hey, pal. Easy there. What are you-"

Once he realized what I was doing, he sprinted into a mad dash in the direction opposite from me. I pursued him with a slower-than-normal gait; I knew I was that much faster than him, and all I wanted to do was give him a good scare.

"Hey, hey, okay, okay, I give," he finally huffed after a couple of minutes. "But anyway, mind if I show you something else?"

I stopped running and nodded.

"I know I showed you my Pichu earlier, and that was cool, but check out what happened to my Popplio!"

He pulled out a Poké Ball and tossed it to release his starter Pokémon.

It wasn't a Popplio anymore.

It was bigger, lighter, and had more frills and markings, and landed with poise on the dirt ground.

"I tried out Ilima's trial during the day! We just barely made it out of there, but it was worth the effort! She's a Brionne, now!"

"_Bri-oh!_" it called, its voice much more graceful than what it had been as a Popplio.

"_Krrrrroo!_"

Dartrix emerged by himself, and the two Pokémon began another faceoff. My partner Pokémon fired up a Razor Leaf attack, and I expected him to defeat the enemy yet again.

"Oh, yeah, Dartrix? Let's see how well you take Brionne's Icy Wind!"

The blue Pokémon fired a blast of ice-cold air from its nose in a puff of white. When it cleared, it revealed my Dartrix lying completely cold on the ground, his talons twitching.

I returned him to his Poké Ball, wide-eyed.

"I, ah...think you're gonna have to take him to the Pokémon Center, Echo."

{_**How...**_}

He read the shock on my face.

"What can I say?" he replied. "It's super effective!"

* * *

**A/N: Alas, upon posting this chapter, this fanfiction no longer has 42,069 words. *sigh* It was nice while it lasted...**

**Thanks for the reviews, folks! I never thought people would actually like this crazy idea I had, but I guess you never can tell. :)**


	11. Chapter 9: Welcome to Akala Island

There was no telling how long it would take for Hau to successfully complete his Grand Trial, so in the mean time, we all decided to use the time we had practically.

The Professor told the officials on Akala Island about me via phone, including the trial captains and the Island Kahuna.

"Yeah, no, I'm not kidding. She's already completed her Grand Trial over here; just beat old Hala earlier this evening," I overheard him that night over the phone. "She's just waiting for one of her friends here to complete his own before she heads on down...No, he's a human. Hau; you know, Hala's grandson? Yeah, him. They've taken quite a liking to each other...Speak? Ah...no, not really, but she does understand it. Her Rotom Dex usually just translates everything for her."

It felt like something pricked me right in the middle; the Professor meant nothing of it, but it...hurt that I couldn't speak like them. I wished there was someway I could fix this.

"_H-hey, bud. You okay?_"

{_**I have a question, Rotom.**_}

"_Yeah?_"

{_**Do you think that, with some practice, I could...teach myself how to speak like the humans?**_}

"_Well...maybe! With some practizzze, you might be able to pull something like that off!_"

{**_It feels...weird not being able to speak the way they do._**}

"_Hey, d-don't get all down in the dumpzzz about it, bucko; it doesn't matter whether you can or not! You're still our friend!_"

That helped for the time being, so I decided not to fret over it. The following morning, I opted to train some more to prepare for the Akala portion of my Island Challenge; I wasn't sure what kinds of Pokémon I'd meet on the other islands that made up the Alola region, and I wasn't about to walk in unprepared.

{_**We'll have to watch out for Brionne's Icy Wind attack in the future, Dartrix,**_} I informed him as we headed north through Hau'loi City. {_**Even if we are at an offensive advantage, so is she with that coverage.**_}

I left for Route 3, deciding to take the opportunity to train some more; the Pokémon flying among and above the rocks were stronger than the Pokémon along Routes 1 and 2, and, therefore, would yield more strength for my own. And the better news was that, even though they were stronger, they were still barely any match for my team's speed and power advantages, and we cleared through five Rufflets and nine Spearows within an hour, and came out with nary a scratch, partly in thanks to the Potions I had leftover from the Grand Trial. Already, I was seeing benefits; Red learned two new moves in the form of Roost and Aerial Ace. I was pleasantly surprised to find that one didn't always need to use Potions to heal a Pokémon mid-battle, and that some had access to self-healing moves. I had him forget Wing Attack for Aerial Ace, seeing that even though both moves had the same power, the latter outclassed the former with the additional benefit that it never missed its target, no matter what; something that would be helpful against Pokemon with Sand Attack and the like.

Along the way, I discovered Melemele Meadow, which I immediately thought was the most beautiful sight I'd ever seen; it was an enclosed, open-topped space among the rocky crevices, and the sweet-smelling, bright yellow flowers stretched unceasing all around. My first thought was that I never wanted to leave this extraordinary place.

All that glittered, however, wasn't gold; the Pokémon there were almost exclusively Bug-Types, none of which were worthy opponents, and therefore not worthy of being added to the team. We fought our way out of the flower field regardless; every bit of experience counted.

The one Pokémon that wasn't a Bug-Type that we faced off against was another birdlike one. It was a cute little thing; bright yellow like the flowers, and it had soft, puffy feathers on its wings and head and a cheerful demeanor in battle. Before Dartrix showed it a good strong Astonish attack, Rotom identified the Pokémon for me.

"_Bzzrt! Oricorio: the Dancing Pokémon! This Flying-Type can take on four different forms, such as the Pom-Pom Form you see here! It chargezz up static electricity in the pompoms on its wings and uses it to deliver electric punchezzz! Shocking, isn't it?_"

{**_That is pretty shocking...Hey, wait...I see what you did there._**}

"_Oh, you did, didja? __Zzt! __Glad you noticed!_" he giggled.

It didn't take much; Dartrix's Astonish made it flinch so much it couldn't even land an attack properly, and we took it down without much effort. But by the time we finally emerged from the meadow, my team was worn out; the sheer number of Bug-Types that had jumped us was insane, and the day wasn't getting any cooler. I decided that I'd head to Iki Town to see how well Hau was doing with his Grand Trial; it wasn't long before I was entering the wooden gates, and when I came to face the battle stage...

"Now! Finish it off with Disarming Voice!"

I arrived just in time to see his partner Pokémon finish off the Kahuna's Crabrawler with it's attack. When the move finished, the Fighting-Type was on its back, just as fainted as fainted could be; even more so, it seemed, when I'd defeated it.

"...You finally did it, my boy," the Kahuna congratulated him as he returned his defeated Pokémon. "You completed your Melemele Trials...and you finally beat your old man."

"I...I did. I did! Brionne, we did it!"

Hau was elated, and so was I; the achievement of beating someone you'd known your whole life was certainly something to be proud of.

"And look who came to witness your victory."

He motioned to me, and one of he biggest smiles I'd seen yet spread across his face.

"Hey! Echo! Didja see that!?"

I didn't hesitate to meet the two of them on the podium.

"We did it! We finally finished our Melemele Trials!"

I chittered; it was the closest I could manage to a congratulation.

"I'm ready to head on up to Akala Island whenever you are, bud! Just give me the word!"

I barked in response.

"Wait...Now? Like, _right_ now?"

I nodded.

"Pshh, well why not!? Just let me head on down to the Pokémon Center before we head over to the ferry; we might have won, but the squad still took a pretty good beating! You go on ahead and I'll meet you there!"

Hau darted off for the city, and I turned toward the defeated Island Kahuna.

"It feels good, you know," he said to me. "seeing him grow so quickly. I'm confident that he'll be able to take on the Akala trials just fine, especially with you by his side."

I answered with a low purr.

"You best head on out; you've got a ferry to catch."

{**_Rotom. Show me a map to the ferry._**}

"_I'm on it!_"

He displayed the map, and our destination was marked with a red flag.

{**_Just outside the city; excellent. Let's go._**}

One could hardly consider it far away, especially considering my ground speed. Hau was still absent when I reached the marina, so I decided that I would inform Lillie and the Professor about my departure. I was glad I got to the lab when I did; even with the short distance between us, the increasing heat of the summer sun wasn't making it any easier.

I scratched at the door, and to my satisfaction, the Professor answered.

"You look like you've been busy!" he commented. "You training?"

I nodded.

"Well, have you seen Hau around? With any luck, he's finished up his Grand Trial by now."

"_Actually, Profezzzor, we were about to tell you that he's done just that! We're all going to head on to Akala Island once Hau comezzz back from the Pokémon Center!_"

"Whoa, really! That's amazing! Hey, Lillie! Echo and Hau are headin' off to the next island! Ain't that great!?"

"W-what? Already?"

She briskly came over to the door.

"That's great! I'm so happy for you guys!"

I nodded...not as energetically as before.

"Hey, pal, why the long face? Uh...no pun intended."

I chattered to Rotom.

"_Oh...She-uh, well...we just wanted to say goodbye. She says that you've all been so good to her, she couldn't be more happy that-_"

"Goodbye!? Are you crazy!? We're coming with you guys!"

"W-we are?!" Lille stammered.

"Well, yeah! Echo might be an official Trainer, but I still gotta keep an eye make sure she's okay! And you'll finally be able to get around some more!"

"...Really? Oh..."

{_**You don't seem very excited.**_}

"_Uh, Echo says that you-_"

"_**Ack!**_"

I grabbed my PokéDex and put one of my scaly hands over his mouth; he didn't mean anything by it, but I didn't want him to offend her by mistake.

"Hey, you know, I got a boat myself!" the Professor stated. "Why don't you get Hau to come on down to the beachfront and we can set sail there instead of having to take the ferry?"

I barked and nodded in agreement. Knowing Hau, he would probably be on board with the idea...no pun intended.

"How about you go give him the notice?"

Instead of responding, I turned tail and made a dash for the Pokémon Center, and I saw Hau coming down from Iki Town...Odd. Hadn't he left the village before I did?

"Hey! I'm finished with my stuff! You ready to go?"

Rotom reiterated the plan to him.

"That's awesome! Dang...I didn't know Professor Kukui had a boat. Well, if they're coming along for the ride, then I'm game!"

Rotom and I explained that it would probably take some time for the Professor to set the boat up, and he made the suggestion of another trip to the Malasada Shop before we left.

"Thought we might as well celebrate before we head on up to Akala! You in on it?"

My response was a lively craw of a "yes."

{_**Rotom. Go alert the Professor on where we'll be at.**_}

"_Aye, aye, captain! Kzzrt!_"

Hau and I departed for the eatery. My pockets were empty; maybe the Trainers around here didn't know I was legitimate, so they hadn't given me any prize money. I'd finally earn some dough on Akala Island since the Professor had informed the officials of my situation ahead of time, and while Hau was glad to pay again, I promised to pay him back as soon as I got the chance.

"Over here, where we were last time!"

We sat down to await our fried dishes; I thought it'd be funny if those two Team Skull blokes tried to confront us outside the shop again like they had the first time; that'd be a strange occurrence.

But I also hoped that it wouldn't be the case. The last thing I wanted was a repeat of last time.

I looked up at an unnaturally quiet Hau; the smile on his face was a tad smaller than I remembered, and he glanced off to the side, his normally cheerful gaze suddenly uneasy. This wasn't right.

{**_What's the matter?_**} I finally gurgled. He seemed to understand what I meant.

"Eh...I've been thinking about some things, and, well...It dawned on me. I'm actually, finally going to Akala Island. Don't get me wrong, Echo, buddy, you bet I'm excited, but...I realized. I've never really been that far away from home before. I guess you could say I found myself kinda nervous, going to another island...I'm gonna miss Tutu; if you're wondering why you saw me coming out of Iki Town instead of the Pokémon Center, well...I did hit the Pokémon Center; didn't take very long. But I went back to say goodbye to him one more time. He can't come with us, since he's got stuff to do here, you know?...But, hey! At least Lillie and the Professor are comin' with us! That's pretty awesome!"

His smile returned, and I, for one, was relieved when it did.

"Hey, here comes the grub."

And the malasadas were placed before us.

{_**I wonder if Red and Dartrix would like these...?**_} I chippered to myself as I sniffed at mine. I thought that if I did, they might.

"Alright! Here's to the Akala Trials!"

He raised his malasada into the air, and I did the same before we chowed down. Mine was gone before he was even half finished...Stupid giant mouth I have.

"_Hey guys! I'm back!_" Rotom squeaked, entering through the doors of the building. "_How'zz everything?_"

"Pretty good, little dude," Hau answered him. "How's the boat coming along?"

_"Profezzzor said it probably won't take azz long as he thought! Especially with Lillie helping_ out!"

"So, we won't have to wait around too long? Awesome! So, uh, Echo," he said to me as he took another bite out of his Malasada. "What do you think you're gonna do when you finish the Island Challenge?"

{_**I...didn't think that far ahead,**_} I realized, Rotom translating my speech. {_**I just thought I'd keep training and getting stronger.**_}

"Yeah...I was thinking the same thing. Maybe I could be the next Island Kahuna! Wouldn't that be cool!?"

{_**It would. Erm...This is the Alola region, right?**_}

"Yeah."

{_**Are there...other regions besides Alola?**_}

"Oh, you bet there are! There's Kanto, Sinnoh, Galar, Hoenn, a few more. They have something called the Gym Quest; it's kinda different from the Island Challenge, I've read. Basically, you go across the region fighting all of the different Gym Leaders instead of completing trials and fighting Totem Pokémon. And then once you're done with that, you get to take on the Elite Four and the Champion in the Pokemon League and see if you can beat 'em! And if you beat the Champion, then...well...You're the new champion!"

{_**Wow...Do you think...they'd let me be a champion?**_}

"What do you mean? Why wouldn't...Oh. _Ohhhh,_ I see what you're worried about. I don't see why not, though! Even if you're not a human, if you beat the champion fair and square, they don't have any place trying to stop you!"

{_**Do you think I have what it takes?**_}

"Heck yeah!"

{_**Then...I might just do that! I wanna take on the Gym Leaders and Elite Four! I wanna be the very best! Like no one ever was!**_}

"That's the spirit!" he cheered, finishing off the rest of his malasada. "Oh, man, I'll never get tired of those things...You know, Pokémon can eat them, too! Maybe once you've got some dough on you, you could get some for your teammates!"

{_**I was thinking about that not too long ago,**_} I answered him. {_**Rotom. What do you think?**_}

"_I think that'zz a great idea!_"

"Hey, come on, guys! Let's see if the boat's done yet! Race ya to the beachfront!"

Hau got up out of his seat and bolted out the door.

{_**Race you?**_} I echoed back. {_**You're on.**_}

I followed him out the door, Rotom inserting himself back into my pack; a smart decision on his part.

I fired up my legs, then dashed after the human. I could barely tell he was moving at all, he was so slow compared to me! Almost no time had gone by before I passed him up and ran ahead down the slope and onto the sand, kicking up dust as I skidded to a halt.

Hau took a minute to meet me there, and when he finally did, he was entirely out of breath.

"...Man..." he huffed. "How...That's...so awesome...You could...be...an athlete if...you wanted, man!"

{_**No. Too easy.**_}

"Hey, fellas! You made it just in time, yeah!"

The Professor. He was calling from the far north, and the boat looked about ready to set sail.

"Whoa, Professor, this is amazing!" Hau remarked as we rushed over. "How'd you get it done so fast?"

"A little elbow grease never hurt anyone, did it? Besides, when you've got a great assistant, things get done pretty quickly, you know what I'm sayin?"

"Aw, yeah! We ready to check out Akala Island, pal?"

I nodded.

"Alright, fellas! Get ready to taste some ocean spray!"

We all boarded the small vessel, and we were pushed off the shore. For a good several minutes, Hau and I hung out at the back of the boat, watching Melemele Island get smaller and smaller in the distance.

"...We'll be back, Melemele Island," Hau promised, almost as though the landmass could hear him.

And from somewhere on that island, I could have sworn I heard Tapu Koko calling out in response.

* * *

_..._

* * *

"Land ahoy! Or...ashore?" Hau speculated as he got off the boat and onto the dock. "Whatever you say!"

"Isn't it a bit late to declare 'land ahoy' when you've already arrived on shore?"

"Come on, Lillie, don't be such a stick in the sand! Come on, Echo, that was funny, right?"

I bore a toothy grin in response.

"See what I mean!?"

"Yeah! Hau knows where it's at!" the Professor added.

"_Phew! Finally! Hello, Akala Island! We're gonna meet all sortzz of new Pokémon here, right_ _bucko?_"

{**_You bet I am. What'd you think of the boat ride?_**}

"_Zzzr...I'll be completely honest; it made me feel kinda queasy...But maybe it was just me being nervous about falling into the water somehow and less from the boat moving, you know? Hee hee...I'm fine and dandy now, though!_"

"Still haven't found a shirt that goes with your lab coat, hmm, Kukui?"

The unfamiliar voice came from the dock steps. I turned to face the source; two humans were standing there, both female, and quite a bit taller and darker than the other.

"I've told you you're gonna scare off strangers looking like that," the taller one continued.

"Oh! Olivia! How's it been?" the Professor greeted her.

{**_You two know each other?_**} I asked, but Rotom remained silent; probably just to be polite.

"Just about the same as ever. I'm guessing this is the new Trainer you were telling me about?"

That was who he was on the phone with?

"Echo, right?" she confirmed, stepping towards me. "Nice to finally see you in person. You shouldn't be hard to spot."

I could feel the blood rushing to my face in embarrassment, and I managed to chitter a friendly greeting.

"Wow...I've never seen anything like it!" the second one exclaimed, also approaching. "Uh, you don't bite, right?"

I shook no, then cordially extended an arm.

"Ooh, formality!" she remarked, meeting me the rest of the way. "I'm Mallow, one of the captains here."

{_**So, you have a trial to complete?**_} I asked, and Rotom translated my question.

"Yup! My trial will be a chance for all the fine ingredients that make up your team to shine!"

I grinned; it seemed like it'd be an enjoyable experience.

"So, what's the plan, kids?" Olivia inquired.

"Well, I guess that's up to them," the Professor replied. "It's their Island Challenge after all, yeah!"

"I think I'll look around and get myself familiar with things around here before gettin' down to the serious business," Hau decided. "Echo, you coming?"

I nodded, and Rotom flashed his map across the PokéDex screen.

"Awesome!"

"Okay, then. Enjoy your time on your Island Challenge, kids, along with your Pokémon. I'll be waiting for my chance to face you in battle when the time comes."

"See you guys later!" Mallow bid, and they headed back down the road ahead.

"She's a real kind Kahuna, you know?" the Professor told me. "Though she isn't very outspoken about it. Ha!"

{_**That was the Island Kahuna?**_} I marveled, and Rotom repeated it for me.

"Oh, yeah. Don't let that make you underestimate her, though; she's just as strong as Hala, if not more so!"

My eyes widened; if this was true, I'd probably need at least one more Pokémon on my side by the time I faced off against her.

{_**Rotom. Show us the map; I'd like an idea of where we should go.**_}

"_On it!_"

He displayed a new map now, and it was safe to assume that it was of Akala Island.

"_Well, there's a little rural town just to the north of here called Paniola Town! There'zzz a lot of farm land up that way, so there should be an abundance of Pokémon!_"

"So we're goin to take the country road? Sounds like a plan! You comin' with us, Lillie?"

"Ah...I think I'll just stay in the city for now and catch up to you two later. I might see what the shops here have...and maybe while I'm at it, I'll take Nebby to the Ruins here; it seems awfully fascinated by them, and I feel that it's...more than just the looks of them."

{**_Do you think there could be a connection?_**} I asked, and Rotom did his job.

"Just a hunch, but it wouldn't surprise me."

"You two should be fine on your own out there. Just don't get into any trouble, ya hear?"

"Heh heh...We'll stay out of trouble! Hey, come on, Echo, let's see what this place is all about."

Rotom's map lead us past the Tide Song Hotel and north up a dirt road lined with grass. I cleared a few of the patches with via jumping, but Hau ended up getting a little stuck behind when some wild Pokémon decided to pitch a fight with him.

"Man...I knew I should have packed some Repels. These guys are feisty!"

It was a little hard to tell what was going on in the tall grass, but on his third encounter, Hau gasped, then pulled out a Poké Ball and chucked it down at...something rustling in the foliage. When I heard the capsule click, I saw a huge smile spread across his face, and he heaved a sigh of relief.

"Ho, boy...Can't believe I got that in one shot!"

{_**What'd you catch?**_}

Rotom didn't even need to translate for him to know what I meant.

"Heh heh...It's a surprise! These things are super rare in the wild! It's a little scrappy, though...I think it might have to wait until its a bit stronger to battle against a team like what you've got. For now, I guess I'll stick it in the P.C. once we get to Paniola Town! Let's keep goin'!"

It wasn't long until we spotted the town up ahead, and the strong smell of dust and dry grass entered through my nostrils.

"Wow...Nice little place, huh?"

I nodded.

"...Whoa. Hey! I just had an epic idea!"

I cocked my head and gave him my full attention; I was all ears.

"Oh...Just let me take my Ee-uh, I mean...new Pokémon to the Pokémon Center and store him away!"

He dashed off towards the red and white building not far north of the entrance, and was back before I could have said "Malasada Shop." When he returned, he flashed a confident smirk and tossed one of his Poké Balls in his hand.

"Alright. As I was saying...Let's have ourselves a Pokémon battle! Right here! Right now! This place has a real Western vibe, doesn't it? We'll be facing off against each other just like the cowboys from the olden days! You game?"

{_**Well...Alright! It'll warm us up for what's to come, won't it?**_} I agreed, with Rotom echoing.

"Awesome! Wait till you see what happened during my Grand Trial!" he exclaimed, pulling one of his Poké Balls out.

"Okay! Pikachu! Show off your sparky snazz!"

He sent out his first Pokémon; the Pichu he had claimed back on Melemele was now bigger, with longer, thinner ears and tail, and looked ready to fight.

"_Pika, pika!_" it squeaked.

{**_That's what a Pikachu looks like?_**}

"_Sure izzz! People love them! They're pretty cute, huh?_"

{_**I suppose...But I've seen cuter Electric-Types.**_}

"_Really? Which onezzz?_"

{**_I'll tell you when the fight's over! Dartrix! Show this fella what you've got!_**}

I sent out my partner Pokémon, and he formed on the ground with a shrill battle cry.

"_Koo, ROOOOOOOOO!_"

"_Ooh, smart choice! Dartrix is part Grass-Type, so he won't be azz damaged by Pikachu's Electric attacks!_"

"Alright, Pikachu! Start this off with Electro Ball!"

"_Pi-KA!_"

{**_Dartrix! Razor Leaf!_**}

"_Rrrrrrroo!_"

Pikachu started to fire up a sphere of electricity by spinning its tail while my fighter summoned his array of leaf bullets. The electric orb was launched into the air, and both it and the pointed leaves crashed into each other head on, causing a blast of smoke and a flurry of burned leaves before us.

{_**Dartrix! Try again! And make it a good one!**_}

"Quick Attack! Let's go!"

Before Dartrix could finish firing up his leaves, the Pikachu ran at him with blinding speed, ramming itself right into the Flying-Type's middle. But he didn't let himself fall over; right when the opponent finished the attack, he sent his series of leaves right at it from the short distance.

"_Ooh, wow! Critical hit!_" Rotom buzzed in excitement.

The Mouse Pokémon, on the other hand, squealed in pain upon receiving the blow of the attack.

"_Pii-Kaah!_"

Before we knew it, the opposing Pokémon was on the ground, out cold.

"Aw, man, Pikachu! Come on back!"

He returned his fallen Pokémon back to its ball, then pulled out a second one.

"Don't worry, Pikachu. Brionne's comin' out to avenge ya!"

His partner Pokémon emerged with a high-pitched, bubbly trill of a bark.

"_Brrrrrrii!_"

That thing knew Aurora Beam; Dartrix wasn't safe against her, so I called him back and sent out my own second fighter. Both of them were weak to Ice-Type Attacks, but Red didn't have the additional Grass-Type, so he was safer.

"_Lu-CHA!_" he cawed.

{**_Alright, Red. Show off your Aerial Ace!_**}

He flapped his wings and took to the air, launching himself right into the baby blue opponent with glowing, open wings. Brionne exclaimed upon the attack, but held on fast.

"Aurora Beam! Let's go!"

And just like last time, she shot an icy cold beam from her nose at incredible speed, slamming my fighter back onto the ground. When he collided with the dirt, he tried to push himself back up; he was barely hanging on by a string. I was about to send him back and switch Dartrix out, but then I remembered a trick I had up my sleeve.

{**_Red! Use Roost!_**}

He obeyed quickly, and a soft, white glow enveloped him; soon enough, most of the scuffs he'd gotten from the Ice-Type Attack were gone, and he had renewed his energy.

"Give 'em another Aurora Beam! He can't hold on forever!"

{_**Now! Karate Chop!**_}

My Hawlucha took off and fired up his next attack before the enemy could, and before I even knew it, he'd slammed his glowing red claws right into Hau's Brionne, sending her Aurora Beam flying into the sky before dissipating. And the opponent's energy disappeared along with the attack; she collapsed onto the ground in a faint.

Yet another victory.

"Wow...Man, you guys are SUPER strong, you know that!?" Hau marveled as he returned his starter. "Even with my Ice and Electric-Type Attacks, you STILL pulled through! That's incredible...But I'll get you one of these days! I promise! Oh, and here's for winning, bud."

Hau gifted me with 500₱ by stuffing it into my bag. I tried to tell him it wasn't necessary with a shake of the head, but he begged to differ.

"Oh, yes it is. How are you gonna afford Poké Balls and Potions and stuff without any cash?"

That was when I caved; he did put up a good argument.

"_Nice going, Echo!_" Rotom congratulated as I returned Red to his own Poké Ball. "_But if I might offer up some advice; we'll have to catch some more Pokémon besidezzz Flying-Types. We don't want the whole team to have the same weaknesses! Zzrt!_"

{**_Good point; the pack does need a bit more variation. Maybe we can start working on that here._**}

"_Soundzzz like a plan! So, uh, now that they battle'zz over, tell me; if it's not Pikachu, what IZZZ the cutest Electric-Type you've seen so far? Oh! Wait! Don't tell me! I think I guessed it! It's that Oricorio we fought earlier, isn't it?_"

{**_Nope. Guess again._**}

"_Hau's Pichu before it evolved?_"

I chattered out a raspy snicker.

{**_No. It's you, silly._**}

"_Zrt!? Me?_"

His screen turned bright pink.

"_Really? Well, hee hee...Shucks, buddy, I-I'm speechless. Heh...Hey! I guess that meanzzz I'm pretty adorable, if I'm competing with the likes of Pikachu! Kzzrt!_"

Hau seemed amused by our conversation.

"Hey guys! How about we hit the Pokémon Center again? Our teams took a beating, didn't they?"

I nodded, then followed him back to the Pokémon Center in the north corner of the small town. Now would be a good time to put those 500₱ to use.

We healed our Pokémon, and Hau brought me over to the Poké Mart to he right of the front desk to show me how things worked. I watched curiously as he exchanged 800₱ for a Great Ball and a Potion.

"Okay; now you give it a go."

I tensed up a little bit as I came face-to-face with the store clerk; it wasn't much of a surprise that he seemed a bit unnerved by me.

"Uh...Is this the Trainer the Island Kahuna came by telling everyone about? Brown? Scaly? Claws?"

I nodded to confirm this.

"Well, uh...Okay, then. What can I getcha?"

I ended up using 400₱ for two more Poké Balls, Hau coaching me throughout. I still had 100₱ to spare.

"You're gettin' the hang of this, ya know? Keep up the battles and the next thing you know you'll be as loaded as me! Well...I'm not THAT loaded, but I've got more than enough to get by with Potions and Poké Balls and stuff! Oh! And I thought I'd hand ya one of these!"

He pulled something out of his own pack and put it in my open hand; it was another spray container, but according to the writing on the label, it wasn't a Potion. It was a...Repel? I chittered to him, asking what it was for.

"While you were doin' your thing with the cashier, I took a peek at Rotom's map. To the north, there's this place called Paniola Ranch, and the path there is LOADED with tall grass, so there's definitely gonna be some Pokémon hiding out there. I know you said something about looking for another team member, but if you get tired of running into a challenger every two steps, go ahead and use that on yourself. It'll keep pretty much anything at bay! Cool, right?"

"_**Huh...**_" I gurgled.

"Wanna head on up there? Might find some cool new Pokémon, eh?"

{**_Maybe in just a bit; we just battled, didn't we? Our Pokémon might still need a bit of a break,_**} I suggested, Rotom doing his job as usual.

"Good point. How about we park at the café until then?"

I nodded, and we did just that. Hau ordered up a round of the cleverly-named Tapu Cocoa for us, and I offered to give him back my remaining 100₱.

"No sir-ee, that's yours. You won fair and square back there. Any one else here will do the same thing, so once its yours, its yours. No trouble."

I accepted his decline, but not without a twinge of guilt, which he apparently took note of.

"Hey, pal. Don't worry about it, okay?"

{_**...Okay.**_}

"You know somethin'? It could just be me rubbin' off on ya," he joked. "But you're a good gal. You're good with Pokémon, you're good with people...even if some of the people around here might have to get used to ya, but that's besides the point."

He took a swig of his Tapu Cocoa.

"Like, look at you. You might have scary teeth, sharp claws and whatnot, but that doesn't matter, you know? What matters is that you're a good person and you want what's best for other people. And if you ask me, you're doin' pretty good in that department. So don't sweat it too much, okay? You're great in my book."

I gave him a smile; what did I ever do to deserve such a great friend?

"_So...I'm really the cutest Electric-Type you've ever seen?_" Rotom inserted, breaking the brief moment of silence between us as he planted his tiny red feet on the table.

I nudged my PokéDex with the tip of my snout and pulled him into a hug.

{**_I'd be lost without you two, you know that?_**}

"_Aww, ghee..._"

It was funny; I had only spent upwards of four days with everyone, yet it felt like I'd known them my entire life. They were like family to me...And that got me thinking.

Was it possible to, perhaps, find a new family, even when your old one could still be out there somewhere? Another twinge of guilt panged in my chest somewhere; I suddenly felt like I'd just abandoned my sisters and Alpha when they needed me most. So many questions still haunted me. Where were they? How did I end up so far away from them? What was the monster that attacked us? What did it do? Were any of them even alive anymore?

Even with this new family of humans and Pokémon that I'd come to know so well, I felt as though the sooner I had my questioned answered, the more at ease I would be.


	12. Chapter 10: Ranch Hand

"Huh...Nice, ain't it?"

I took in a big breath of the fresh farmland air; it smelled of sweet hay and dry grass.

"Change of scenery from the big cities, eh? I'm gonna go look for some Trainers to fight. You game?"

{**_I think I'll do some exploring first; maybe see what kinds of Pokémon are around here._**}

Rotom did his job, as usual.

"Fine with me. Good luck finding stuff!"

Hau immediately went up to challenge an older Trainer tossing a Poké Ball in hand and pitched a battle. I passed them by down the path as I watched his Brionne deal a good portion of damage to his opponent's odd-looking Rock-Type Pokémon.

{_**Rotom, what kind of Pokémon is that?**_}

"_Allow me!_"

He did a quick scan from the distance we were at, and the image of the Pokémon appeared on his screen.

"_Carbink: the Jewel Pokémon! They use their soft manes to polish the gems of their own kind. Sometimezzz, they're dug up from Underground during cave excavations!_"

{**_Interesting...How strong are they?_**}

"_Zzrt! According to the statzzz, they have extremely high defense, but their attacking abilities are, uh...lacking._"

{**_Hmm...I'm looking for something that can dish out damage as well as it can take it. We'll just have to keep-_**}

"Now, what in the name of Tapu Lele is that?"

I looked up, and there was someone standing just outside of a fenced-in area, looking at me as though I had three heads.

Frankly, though, I didn't blame him. Nor did I blame him for approaching to see whether his eyes were deceiving him.

"...What are you? A Sceptile?...Sceptile...Wait, hold on...Yeah, yeah...Kahuna Olivia came on down this way and was sayin' somethin' 'bout a new Pokémon Trainer comin' 'round that she said looked somethin' like a Sceptile, or an Archeops, or somethin' or other...Imma be honest, I didn't take the news that seriously when I heard it, my apologies. Guess, uh...Guess she wasn't pullin' any legs after all, looks like."

I chittered a pardon to the human and met him halfway with an open hand.

"So, you are indeed a trial-goer?"

"_Yep! She sure izzz! Pokémon, PokéDex and all!_"

"I'm guessin' you're one o' those fancy new Rotom Dexes? Man...Professor Kukui sure knows how to pick 'em, don't he?"

"_Well, i-it's kind of a long story, but I guess he doezzz!_"

"Well, anyways, I'd say your timing was just about spot on," he continued. "One of the trial captains is in here right now!"

{_**Mallow?**_}

"_Mallow?_"

"That's right. She might be willin' to offer you fellas up a bit of advice for her trial or team-buildn'. Who knows?"

{_**Well, come on, Rotom, let's go check this place out!**_}

"_I'm right behind ya! Bzzt!_"

I dashed into through the open gateway and looked about. There she was on the other side, accompanied by two pink and black Pokémon. I approached her in a trot.

"Hey, it's you again! Finally made it to Moomoo Paddock, huh? What do you guys think?"

{**_Moomoo...What?_**}

This was a Paddock? This was a far different-looking setup from what I was used to; it was closed in a wooden fence instead of a metal one, and looked a lot easier to jump over, not even being a quarter of the height of the Paddock I grew up in. And everything was so open; no trees or bushes, just grass and dirt...and a few waterflows towards the back of the area. If my sisters and I had been enclosed in something like this, we'd have escaped far sooner than we had.

"_Something the matter, bucko?_"

{**_What? No, nothing's wrong. Just...remember to translate for me, okay?_**}

He tilted forward; the closest he could manage to a nod.

{_**So, uh...What brings you here, Captain Mallow?**_}

"Just gathering up some more cooking supplies. The Moomoo Milk produced here is top-notch quality, you know? It's really rich and creamy, especially when you use it in white sauce and things like that...Mmm, the taste can't even be described!"

"_Moo!_" one of the pink and black Pokémon at her side bellowed lightly.

{**_What are these?_**} I inquired about the two Pokémon. {_**Forgive me; I'm still a bit new to everything here.**_}

"These are Miltank. And they're what you get Moomoo Milk from...uh, in case you didn't know that, either."

"_Mil, moo..._" the other one complained as it ducked behind the trial captain some, apparently more disturbed by me than the first.

"Oh, hush now. She won't hurt you," she assured it before turning back to me again. "Echo, right?"

I nodded.

"Since you're here, I just want to give you a heads up. If you head north on Route 5, you'll probably find my friend Lana up there in Brooklet Hill. She's a fellow trial captain, so when you decide to take her trial for a spin, you know where to go!"

{**_Noted. So, what other kinds of Pokémon might I find here in Paniola Ranch?_**}

"Oh, there are PLENTY. Mostly Normal and Ground-Types. They can be pretty darn strong, so make sure you're ready for a fight if you decide to catch any! Especially Tauros!"

{_**Tauros?**_}

"Miltank's male counterpart. You see how laid back these Miltank are? Tauros are just the opposite; you just get on one of their nerves and they go crazy with rage! Takes a lot of patience to raise on of them, they're that aggressive...See, there are two over there fighting each other right now!"

I turned my head, and sure enough, there were two beefy-looking Pokémon with curved horns and rock-hard hooves slamming their heads into each other, their tails waving and swatting and their gazes both glowing with pure, raw anger as each pair stared right into the other.

"_Moooar!_" one of them hollered, throwing the other off and ramming into its unguarded side with its sharp horns, knocking the Pokémon clean off its feet. The human that'd greeted us at the gate went over to try to break up the squabble.

"Alright, alright, you two, back it up. Hey. You. Easy with the horns."

The victor snorted at him.

"Don't you back sass me, mister! You put those things back where they came from! You're gonna poke an eye out one of these days and get me sued or somethin' like that!"

"_Moar..._" the creature grumbled before turning away from him and walking away from the other.

And that was when he eyed me.

"Uh-oh," the human exclaimed. "Oh, no, no, NO! WATCH OUT!"

Before anyone else knew it, the Tauros was running at me at full force, its horns pointed right at me. I was about to turn tail and try to make my way out of the paddock, but right before I could get a running start, something told me to do otherwise; that same little voice that told me to attack the skull grunts back on Melemele Island.

_Fight back,_ it said to me. _Put it in its place._

I stood my ground against the Wild Bull Pokémon and bore my own sharp teeth to combat its horns, then began running at it myself.

"What's she doin'?! She's gonna get herself impaled!"

Before the Tauros could ram me with its horns, I whizzed off to its side, then made a sharp turn around and pounced into its side. The darting impact was enough to send the already confused Pokémon off its hooves and onto the ground, and I pinned its head down with my foot, my big claw just inches away from its throat. I snarled at the creature.

{**_This wouldn't have happened if you'd listened to him,_**} I growled.

"_Mo...Moar..._"

The raging light in its eyes seemed to fade some as it finally calmed down. The voice in my head spoke to me again.

_Now...Kill it and claim your prize._

Wait...What?

No. No, I couldn't do that! This wasn't my Pokémon; it belonged to the ranch! And that would be terrible! What put that idea into my head?

I shook it, as though to expel the thought, before speaking to the Tauros again.

{**_If I take my foot of your head, will you leave us alone? AND the Tauros you beat down?_**}

"_Moar..._"

There was a glimmer of understanding in the Pokémon's eyes in place of the unbridled fury it'd possessed earlier. Cautiously, I took the pressure of my foot off its head, then moved around it to the other side to try and help push it back onto its feet. Tauros complied, and then once it was on all four of its hooves again, it turned and walked away, looking too shaken to run straight.

I was badly shaken by the whole ordeal myself; not just by the Tauros trying to attack me, but also by the strange voice I heard telling me to kill the creature in cold blood.

"...Holy Miltank," the Tauros wrangler marveled. "...You just..."

{**_I'm sorry! It was an accident! I didn't mean to hurt it! Something just-_**}

"You done just subdued one of the most rowdy Tauros on the entire ranch! That was amazin'!"

{**_'Amazing!?'_**}

"Nice work! Hey, if we employ trainin' tactics like that, we'll have him ready to ride in no time!"

Amazing? I'd almost killed the Pokémon and he said it was amazing!? At first, the idea was beyond me, but then I realized...It did work, didn't it? The Tauros was now minding its own business and everyone was safe, including me. I'd scared it into submission...Maybe I had done a good job, despite that evil little voice in my head.

"_Kzzrt! Echo! A-are you okay!?_"

Rotom zipped back over to me, accompanied by Mallow and her two Miltank.

{**_I...I think I'm okay, Rotom. I just need a breather._**}

My legs caved in, and I sat down in the grass, noticing that my tail was involuntarily curling around me as I tried to ease my heavy breathing.

"Are you sure she's okay?" Mallow questioned my PokéDex.

"_That'zzz what she says. She might just need a moment to collect her thoughtzz._"

It did take a few moments, but I did find the strength returning to my legs, and managed to push myself back up.

"Make sure to be careful out there, Echo," the wrangler warned me. "There ain't many, but some wild Tauros roam the ranch. And they can be just as mean and nasty as the one you just tussled with. I don't wanna see somethin' like that happen to you again; you've done more than good here."

I nodded, just barely.

"Now you go on along; maybe train up your Pokémon. This is a fine place to do it, and it'll getcha ready for the next trial. Eh...Come to think of it, what kinds of Pokémon you got with ya? I'm curious to see what kind o' team somethin' like you might muster up."

Now this question perked me up; to answer it, I dug out my Poké Balls and released my two Flying-Types.

"_Krrroo!_"

"_Ru-Cha!_"

"Hoo-ey! Not a bad couple o' Flyin-Types. That Dartrix looks mighty well-trained, if I do say so myself."

"Yeah; Lana better watch out! And your Hawlucha's pretty tough-looking, too!"

{**_I'm looking for a strong, non-Flying-Type Pokémon around here. Wish me luck._**}

"Oh, yeah; don't wanna hold you're Island Challenge up too long, now, do we? Happy huntin'!"

"And keep training your Pokémon up to be big and strong! Oh! And make sure to feed them plenty of Berries and Pokébeans! They love those!"

{**_Got it! See you around!_**}

Saying this, I turned and headed back out of Moomoo Paddock.

{**_Uh...Rotom?_**}

"_What'zz up?_"

{**_Where do I find Berries and Pokébeans?_**}

"_Oh, Berries are everywhere! Zzzt! And there are all different sorts! And you can get Pokébeanzzz at Pokémon Center cafés every so often!_"

{_**Well, I guess I've got some foraging to do later, don't I?**_}

"_Soundzz like fun! Can I help?_"

{_**I'll probably need it. Heh heh...**_}

* * *

_..._

* * *

"_There'zzz another one!_"

{**_Just how many Mubrays ARE there here?_**}

The first one had been cause for excitement, seeing that it was not only a new Pokémon, but a fairly sturdy-looking one, as well, and my first thought was to capture one and add it to the team. However, I was quick to realize that they weren't quite as strong as I first thought, as every Razor Leaf was enough to knock one out in a single hit, and whenever I tried to whittle them down, the Ground-Types took a LOT more damage than I thought they would, and with every defeat, they snorted at me, kicked up dust upon regaining consciousness and trotted back into the grass. Lillipups turned out to be even more frail, and the one Miltank we encountered went down with just a couple of Red's Karate Chops. I wasn't that impressed by the strength of these new wild Pokémon, but the good news was that they served an interesting challenge.

All Dartrix had to do was fire up his Razor Leaf and the Mudbray whinnied and ran off; maybe it'd heard what had become of most of its six brethren that we beat.

Finally, I stepped out of the grass and came towards a rustic building.

{**_The next time we pass through here, I'm using that Repel Hau gave me,_**} I remarked to my PokéDex. {_**Now...Since that's done, do you know what this place is?**_}

"_This building right here? Well, according to my map, this izzz the Pokémon Nursery! They take care of Pokémon for you! And sometimes, if they have any extra from Trainers who didn't want them, they'll give you an egg!_"

{**_An Egg? Like, one that hatches a Pokémon?_**}

"_That'zzz right! Hey, let's ask 'em! Maybe they'll give you one with a stronger Pokémon inside!_"

{**_I'm not sure how strong a newly hatched Pokémon would be._**}

"_Well, as long as you take baby steps with their training-no pun intended-they get strong pretty quick! Just start off slowly, with weaker enemies! And then it might evolve into something stronger, depending on what hatched! Bzzrt!_"

{**_Well...It's worth a shot. I'll ask the human right there._**}

There was someone standing just to the right of the building. I approached slowly, Rotom still at my side, to make sure I made myself out as a friend.

"Oh...My goodness. Are you that Trainer everyone's been spreadin' word about? The one Kahuna Olivia said was on her way?" she asked, to which I nodded.

"Never did see anything like you in my life...You got your own Pokémon and everything?"

I let out Red and Dartrix again to answer in the positive.

"Ya sure do...Sturdy-lookin' lil' fellers, that's for sure. But the team itself is pretty small, with only the two o' them...How 'bout I get you somethin' to fix that with?"

I nodded again, already fairly sure of what she meant as she invited me into the Nursery building.

When we were both inside, the human approached another one at the front desk.

"Howdy, sis. Oh, wow...This that new trial-goer that word's been spreadin' 'bout?"

"Sure is. She's only got a couple teammates, so I was wonderin' if we still had any of those...you know...special eggs."

"Ohh, I get it. As a matter of fact, there's just one left. She's lucky."

{_**One egg left? I guess it's a good thing you gave me the idea, Rotom.**_}

"_No need to thank me! Just doin' my job! Zzzt!_"

"Alright, here it is. Can I trust you to take good care of it?"

The second human handed me something over the front desk; it was hard, ovular, and dotted with tan spots.

{**_...The egg,_**} I murmured, staring down at it and running a hand over its smooth surface. I pressed my head against it, seeing if I could detect any shifts or chirps inside, but there was nothing of the sort. What would come out of it when the time came? Only time would tell, it seemed.

{_**Humans,**_} I announced. {**_I will guard this egg with my life if I have to. As I will the hatchling._**}

"Wow...You're takin' this pretty seriously, huh? I like that; shows your dedication. Good luck with it, and I wish you and the future Pokémon happy days."

I nodded again, then headed out of the Pokémon Nursery, the egg clutched tightly in my arms. I looked up at the sky; the top of the sky had turned a softer, deeper blue, and the horizon was streaked with pink and gold with violet highlights. The clouds were the color of my stripes; dark indigo grey, and they gave the vivid colors of the sunset magnificent contrast. Nighttime was fast approaching.

{**_...Let's head up Route 5. Mallow said something about another captain having a trial up that way, right?_**}

"_Uh, isn't it getting a little late to be doing a trial? It'zzz..." He yawned mid-sentence. "It's almost 9:00, according to my internal clock._"

{**_I know. It is getting late. I mean for tomorrow. We'll be there bright and early, you know what I'm saying?_**}

"_Oh. Well, there's a Pokémon Center up that way we could hunker down at! Here, take a peek at the map!_"

Sure enough, there was a Pokémon Center just in front of the entrance to Brooklet Hill.

{**_Perfect. Hold on to your circuits, Rotom._**}

"_Will do!_" he obeyed, zipping back into my bag before I started my trot up Route 5.

I didn't want to run, fearing I might risk dropping the egg and breaking it. And I'd made a promise to not let anything happen to it; to guard it with my life. But I didn't move too slowly; the night air was comfortable for me, but the egg could only go without a warm nest for so long. All of my thoughts were focused on the egg as I made my way to the Pokemon Center; I needed to treat it as though I was the one who laid it.

This wasn't just a future team asset I was carrying. It was a forever companion-to-be.

It wasn't long until we made it there, and I bedded down right beside the building, right beside a functioning heat vent. It was the perfect spot to stay and keep the egg safe and warm, as no wild Pokémon with half a brain would think to come this close to a Pokémon Center.

"_Zrrt? Uh, can't we just go inside the Pokémon Center to sleep for the night?_"

{**_I'm...not sure they'd appreciate a big, scaly Pokémon Trainer just lying down on the floor somewhere snoozing. It might drive people away. It's better just to stay outside. Besides, we're close enough that nothing will bother us. Plus...It's a nice evening, isn't it? Look up, Rotom._**}

Both of us tilted our gaze up towards the heavens; the first stars were beginning to appear in the night sky, sparkling white against the soft blue background.

{**_...I don't know why I never realized just how beautiful everything is out here. The plants, the wildlife, the sky...It all just feels so weird, knowing that before I came here, I didn't even acknowledge any of it. They were all just different, everyday things to me._**}

"_And now?_"

{**_...Now I don't know why I didn't notice any of it sooner._**}

I say down, wrapping my tail securely around the egg as I bedded down beside it, Rotom descending down to the ground beside my head.

{_**You know something, Rotom?**_}

"_What?_"

{**_I'm really glad I ended up here with all of you. I don't know exactly how, but I'm glad that was what came to be._**}

"_Well, I'm glad of that, too, bucko!_"

There was a brief silence between us, and it looked like Rotom was just about to shut his eyes when I remembered something.

Something important.

{**_...Uh...Rotom?_**}

"_Hm?_"

{**_I know we're about to go to sleep, but...Do you remember me telling you about that...voice I heard that told me what to do against Team Skull?_**}

"_And how it told you to 'go for the head'? Yeesh...Soundzzz grizzly. Yes, I remember. Why do you ask?_"

{**_...Because I heard it again. When I was fighting the Tauros._**}

"..._What?_"

He suddenly looked a bit nervous.

"_Ah...W-what'd it say this time?_"

{**_It was a lot more direct...And that made it a lot worse. It told me to kill it, Rotom. To 'claim my prize.' I didn't like that. It was one thing helping me subdue the Pokémon, but telling me that I should kill it. That's...not right. Where do you think that's coming from?_**}

Rotom took a few moments to answer, his large eyes wider than usual, and filled with concern, along with a heavy dose of fear.

"_I...I-I just had a thought," he answered. "...I have a strange question, but just trust me._"

{**_Of course._**}

"_Um...When you were living back at your old home with your sisters, how exactly did you guyzzz feed yourselves? Or get fed?_"

{_**Well, normally we were given prey to go after. It was let loose in the Paddock, and me and my sisters would band up and chase it to catch it. Blue lead the hunting division, and it was my job to help corner our food so that could bring it down quickly. And then...**_}

"And then?"

{**_...And then...Well...We would eat it. Sometimes...it was even still alive while we were...I...You remember how I was saying that I only just realized how nice my life is now?_**}

"_Yeah?_"

{**_Now, I also realize just how messed up my life was before I came here. I'm not like all the other Trainers and humans here. I was raised in a pen. I hunted my food, I didn't make or buy it. And I tore my prey apart without a second thought like some savage beast. I...I..._**}

"_Pal...? You okay, there?_"

{**_Rotom...I'm dangerous. I-I love everyone and everything here, but I-I don't know how much longer I can go on without hurting someone._**}

"_Come on, that's not true. You've just got a few more things to learn, izz all. And that-_"

{**_I even do it when I don't mean it, Rotom, you don't realize how bad it is. You saw what happened to Hau on Mahalo Trail; I might have saved him, but I put holes in his arm! What if something worse ends up happening? What if I don't care!? What if I stop feeling bad for things again!?_**}

My breathing got funny again, and I could feel tears running down the sides of my face.

"_O-oh, no. Echo, please don't cry. I-it's gonna be okay. It'll turn out for the best, you'll see! Just...hear me out, okay?_"

He had reached his blocky arms up to caress the length of my snout, and I let go of my hat that I'd shamefully pulled over my eyes to face my PokéDex again.

"_That voice you heard earlier? It sounds a lot like...an instinctive thing, to put it eazzzy. You only just came here a few days ago, right? That little voice; it's probably your survival instincts trying to guide you. You're a predatory creature; it'zz in your nature to hunt prey. But just because you're a hunter doesn't mean you're a savage beast. You're just doing what you've been doing your whole life. And...Hey. You know what else?_"

{**_What...?_**} I croaked.

"_The voice told you to kill it, but you didn't. You rezzzisted that command, since you knew it. And you know what made you resist? Critical thinking. Morale. Empathy. You've got all of those, too, Echo. You're not dangerous, it's just...a shift of tone for you. You'll get more used to it. You'll fit in just fine._"

{_**I...I don't want to lose those things, Rotom. I just got them, but whenever something happens, I-I fell like they begin to slip away, just a bit. I want to be able to think straight like everyone else. I want to make good decisions. To care. To love. I don't want to go back to the way it was before. I don't want to forget them. I'm scared I will. Rotom, I'm scared...**_}

"_C-come on, buddy. No more of the water works, okay? B-besidezz, it's..._"

He sniffed mid-sentence, threatening to spill tears of his own.

"_I-if I had a heart, it'd be breaking right now, seein' ya like this. It's m-makin' me sad, too..._"

A whimper escaped from him, and he hid his eyes behind his blocky appendages.

{**_Oh, no...I got you upset now, too, didn't I?_**}

"_It'zz okay, boss,_" he sniffled. I saw one of the tears run down the side of his screen, and I carefully reached out a bent finger to wipe it away, pointing the sharp, curved claw at the tip of it away from the Pokémon. He did the same himself, then sat down back at the base of my head and tried to wrap his arms around its comparatively large size. I responded by putting my own arms around him again and squeezing him close.

"_I-it's okay, really it is. That stuff doesn't just disappear overnight, you know?_"

{**_But then how long WILL it stay?_**}

"_Once you have those things, I-I don't think-_" he sniffled again. _"-don't think you can lose them. You're gonna be alright. All of us are. And you're gonna complete this Island Challenge and fight in the Pokémon Leagues across the sea and all over the world. You're gonna make everybody proud. Professor Kukui, Lillie, Hau...A-and me, too. And Dartrix and Red. And..._"

Both of us eyed the brown-spotted egg positioned snugly at my side.

"_...And that one, too. Try to stay focused of that egg for the time being; don't get all caught up in past stuff and existential junk; it'll take a toll on you. Let's just keep our mindzzz on taking care of junior here, huh?_"

{**_I..._**}

I tightened my grasp around him a bit more tightly, emitting a purr as I nuzzled the spot above his eyes with the tip of my nose. His screen went somewhat pink.

{**_How is it that you always know exactly what to say in any situation, Rotom?_**} I asked him, blinking away the last of my tears.

"_I-I dunno, bucko,_" he replied sheepishly. "_Words just come to me is all, and thingzzz work out...Ah...W-was that your version of a-a peck on the forehead, o-or something?_"

{_**I guess you could consider it that.**_}

"_Oh, ghee whizzz...S-see? Goes to show you you're not a savage beast._"

{**_...You're right. I might just need a little more adjusting time and it'll all blow over like a bad storm._**}

"_Thingzz will fall into place soon enough! I promise! Just keep looking up and it'll all turn out._""

I knew he didn't mean it in a literal sense, but I tilted my head up, anyway. The clear, nighttime sky above had turned from soft blue to almost black, and the stars shone even brighter than before against it.

{_**Beautiful, isn't it?**_}

"_Sure is, Echo...Well, I'm turnin' in,_" he announced, snuggling into the crook of my arm a bit more. "_G'night, bud. G'night, future teammate._"

{_**Sleep tight, Beta.**_}

A smile formed on his face before his screen dimmed down his eyes shut. I wrapped him and the egg closer to my side; No matter what happened, no matter when it did, I would protect every last one of my Pokémon with everything I had.

The Pokémon in the egg, who I loved with all my being already, despite not even knowing what it was yet.

Red, the Gamma-to-be whose fiery passion for the battlefield could barely be rivaled.

Dartrix, who had been with me from Day 1 and had helped me find a new meaning to the life I lead.

And Rotom, who was so many things to me; PokéDex, map, teacher, translator, and constant companion.

They were the offspring I never had. And I would give my all for them.

And may anyone who tried to take them away from me pay with their blood.


	13. Chapter 11: Trial and Trust

_All I knew was that I was trapped._

_I was stuck, and my only goal was to break out. I was curled up around myself; I could barely move anymore, it was so cramped. If knew that if I didn't get out soon, I would die. I had to try to break this strange prison I was in._

_It was the only thing I knew how to do._

_So I banged the tip of my snout against it. All of a sudden, e__verything became so much brighter, more clear._

_Light. For the first time, I was seeing light._

_In fact, I was seeing a LOT of things; things moving around outside my prison, shouting at one another, exclaiming things._

_"Egg's hatching!"_

_"Come on, come on, get the other asset, move it along, people."_

_"Where's Owen!? Owen! Barry!"_

_"Is she comin' out?"_

_"You're right on time. Make sure you're the only one in the room with her. Barry, you stay here."_

_"I know."_

_"And make sure not to break anything! We don't want to have to start all over again!"_

_"God, Claire, is that all you see these things as? Assets?"_

_"Owen, I understand your bond with these animals, but you know just as well as I do how much-"_

_"I get it, I get it. Jeez, you're boring..."_

_Everything went quiet, and I heard someone approach. I could just barely see the figure from the crack I made. Who was this? WHAT was this?_

_"Come on, now...You got this."_

_I felt that I could...trust it? I had to get out and see it for myself, though, to make sure. So I tapped against the walls a bit harder. The crack got bigger, and I could see more._

_The being that hovered over me looked...strange. But I didn't think much of it; now that the hole was big enough to peek through, I had to open it up the rest of the way._

_I looked down at the tiny claws on my hand; I didn't know how, but I instantly knew what they could be used for._

_I pushed them up against the edge of the hole, and it got bigger, the little shards falling away. The walls around the hole bore cracks in them, and I pushed the tip of my snout through the hole I'd made. Before I even knew what was happening, I fell over forward, along with the rest of my thin-shelled imprisonment, and the impact was just enough to make the thin walls crack even more. Wanting to be rid of the stupid shell, I kicked my hind legs until I finally broke free, the shards spilling out on the ground around me._

_I was out._

_And there, hovering over me, was a strange creature. It was the first living thing besides myself that I ever saw._

_And, for reasons that even I didn't know, I liked him. I trusted him. I knew he would protect me._

_But now a new uncomfortable sensation made itself present._

_It felt like my entire middle was just an empty pit that had to be filled, and it had to be filled quickly. So I did the only thing that I knew how to do._

_Scream._

_It was only a matter of seconds before the creature held something out in front of my gaping mouth for me to snatch, and I gulped it down in little time. Whatever he'd given me seemed to settle the feeling of emptiness inside me._

_Hunger...That was what I was feeling. I'd just eaten for the first time._

_Just when I thought things would be alright, yet another terrible sensation appeared._

_I felt constricted. Tight. I started shaking. And I had no idea why._

_Again, the creature who stood with me solves this; he lifted me up off the ground and into something warm and soft, wrapping it around me and holding me._

_I'd been cold. And now I was warm._

_The creature brought me somewhere warmer, and a bit darker. I smelled something...odd. It smelled a bit like...me? How?_

_My question was answered when he unfurled the covers over me and gently lowered me down onto warm earth. Something else was sitting next to me._

_I didn't know how I knew, but I knew that this...thing before me was one of my own kind. It was grey, mostly, and had a deep blue stripe running down each side of it._

_She stood up on her hind legs and sniffed at me for a few moments before making odd, rhythmic noises. Why did I know what they meant? I'd never heard them before?_

_Communication._

_{**Hello,**} she greeted. {**Are you a friend?**}_

_{**I...don't know,**} I answered her. {**I came out of somewhere dark and cramped.**}_

_{**I was in a dark, cramped place a few days ago, too...You smell like me. I think we should be friends.**}_

_{**What's it like being friends?**} I wondered aloud._

_{**I don't know; I've never had any,**} she admitted. {**But I think it's supposed to be good?**}_

_{**I'll try it.**}_

_{**Are you cold? You're shaking.**}_

_{**I am?**}_

_It was true; even if it was warmer than before, it wasn't enough to be comfortable. Maybe my new friend would be warm? There was only one way to find out._

_I scooted right up against her and tucked in all of my limbs._

_{**I'm happy we're friends,**} I yawned, my eyes suddenly feeling heavy. {**Do you think there are more of us?**}_

_{**We'll have to see about that...I hope there are. More friends means...more happiness, right?**}_

_I agreed with a light chuff before letting my eyes glaze over, and the great big world around me faded into oblivion._

* * *

_..._

* * *

My senses returned slowly and gently.

I opened my eyes; I was beside the Pokémon Center again, with Rotom and the egg. They both looked warm and secure.

I didn't want to wake them up too suddenly, for I just looked around for a bit; the sun had since risen above the horizon, but its light was still soft and gentle, and the morning sky faded from pink to gold the closer to earth it seemed. The softness of the atmosphere almost prompted me to go back to sleep, but I wasn't tired enough, and I didn't want to miss any of it.

As I scanned over my surroundings, the dream I'd have began to come back to me. In a clear state of mind, it made much more sense.

It'd been a recollection of the day I hatched from my OWN egg.

I broke out of the shell, and there was Alpha, standing over me. I was fed, swaddled, then brought over to Blue; Charlie and Delta weren't there, though. Maybe they hadn't hatched out of their own eggs yet?

Was that the way every creature felt when it emerged from its egg? Tired, cold and hungry? What a way to be welcomed into the world...

"_...M-mornin' boss._"

{**_Rotom. You're awake,_**} I acknowledged, looking down at him as he stretched his blocky arms. {_**Good morning to you. Is the egg doing alright still?**_}

He looked up and down the tan-spotted egg curiously, looking for any cracks, smudges of dirt, dampness and other things, but finding none.

"_Egg lookzzz fine!_" he chippered. "_Uh, but I do have a question._"

{_**What is it?**_}

"_How are we gonna carry it around safely? I mean, we can't just leave it here! Something might get to it while we're away! Bzzt!_"

{**_For now, I'll just carry it by hand; as long as I don't run with it, it should be alright. Besides, I don't really trust anyone else with it; it's my responsibility._**}

"_Hmm...Well, if you say so. But just remember I'm helpin' out, too, so I can keep an eye on it if you ever need me to!_"

{**_Thanks, Rotom. Now...Let's see about the next trial. Brooklet Hill is just past this Pokémon Center, right?_**}

"_That'zzz right! Wonder if the captain's there yet; it's kinda early, ain't it?_"

{**_There's only one way to find out,_**} I answered him, slowly shifting my legs and pushing myself up onto them. My PokéDex displayed the map on his screen.

"_Okie-dokie! lead the way! Zzrt!_"

I took a peek at the sign just beside he Pokémon Center.

"_Brooklet Hill:_

_Designated trial site for the Island Challenge._"

I nodded in acknowledgement, then passed through the thick foliage growing around the path, finding myself face-to-face with a small slope of wooden planks descending down on the dirt road. Past the ramp was a bridge, and right in front of the bridge there was...

A human.

One clad in blue and white, and perhaps slightly shorter than Hau, but a bit older, it also looked.

"Hello," she greeted us. "You're Echo, aren't you? The trainer from Melemele Island that everyone's been talking about?"

I glanced shyly off to the side, giving a light nod and low growl. I chittered to Rotom, and he presented the question I had.

"_Uh...Are you Captain Lana?_"

"Yep. That's me. I run the trial here in Brooklet Hill. I've been waiting for you, Echo. Once I caught wind of you from the Island Kahuna, I decided I'd head up here early, seeing that you were going through the Island Challenge. I guess that was a good idea, wasn't it?"

{_**Excellent. That's what I'm here for,**_} I told her, and Rotom did his usual job of translating for me. {**_What exactly do we have to do for the trial?_**}

"Well, just follow me, and I'll explain everything. Erm...You don't have a ride pager, do you?"

{_**A what?**_}

"_A what?_"

"Here. Follow me and I'll tell you once we're at the site."

She lead us through some scattered patches of taller grass; I didn't want to waste my Repel, so once Lana went through, I caught up to her by leaping over them, and trailed slowly behind her as she lead us to a body of water. There was what looked like a Pokémon of some sort sitting idly along the shore, and it turned its long, graceful neck to face the Trial Captain with a liquid song of a cry in greeting.

{_**What is that, Rotom?**_} I asked, very intrigued by the graceful-sounding Pokémon with the shelled back.

"_Scanning...Scanning...Scan complete!_"

And he began.

"_Lapras: The Transport Pokémon! A kind and gentle Pokémon, it enjoys carrying people across bodiezz of water on its back! Due to poaching, it almost went extinct, but conservation efforts have been so successful that now there are tonzzz of them! Here in the Alola region, they serve as an important means of transportation! Bzzzrt!_"

"Hello, Lapras," the Captain greeted it. "The Trainer from Melemele Island is here. Are you ready?"

It nodded to her, and Lana turned to face me,

"This is Lapras," she explained. "In order to partake in the trial, you will have to ride her across the water. Can you do that?"

{**_Wait...Ride? As in...On top of her shell?_**}

Rotom translated my skeptical question.

"That's right."

{**_Are you sure I won't..._**}

I looked down at the large, curved sickle claws on my feet. What if, while I rode her, I somehow nicked her with one of them? Nick...Those claws could do way more than just nick skin. In the right place, and with the right motion, those claws could kill, even by accident.

{**_...That I won't...Hurt her by mistake?_**}

She noticed that I was looking down at the deadly weapons on my inner toes.

"Oh...I can see where your concern is stemming from. As long as you keep those on her shell, it shouldn't be an issue; it's very durable, so those claws won't do much against them. Go ahead and hop on; see how you handle it."

She motioned for me to approach the Pokémon, and I stepped closer towards it. Lapras' large, curious, somewhat dubious eyes peered right into mine, and I chittered to her.

{**_I assume you've never carried anything like...myself before, have you?_**}

She shook 'no,' and...for a moment, I could have sworn she was looking into my mouth instead of my eyes.

{**_I didn't think so...But I promise I won't hurt you. I'm here for the trial, just like any other Trainer...Are you, uh...ready?_**}

She nodded, and I was just about to climb onto her shell when...

I realized that I was still holding the egg in my arms.

I backed away from Lapras, holding my precious cargo a tad tighter.

"Something the matter?" Lana inquired, her eyes then falling onto what I had in my arms.

"Oh...Your egg. Well, I agree with your not wanting to take it out onto the water; it's not safe. It'll have to be kept on dry land while you do the trial. I'd be more than happy to keep it safe for you while you're out in the pond."

{**_You! With my egg!?_**} I screeched, shielding the object in question from the human. {**_What if you break it!? What if something happens while I'm out there and you don't know what to do!? I have to keep it safe! No one else can have it!_**}

"Um...What's she saying, Rotom? She sounds upset about something."

"_She'zzz gotten pretty attached to Junior ever since we picked it up from the Pokémon Nursery; said she'd guard it with her own life. What she's saying, in a nutshell, is that she doezzzn't trust anyone with it but herself! Zzzt!_"

"Oh. I see...Well, Echo, I'm pleased to tell you that I've handled the eggs of my own Pokémon in the past, so there'll be no trouble if I keep it for you during the trial."

I was still extremely skeptical; I'd only just gotten this egg, and now I was entrusting it to someone I barely knew? It sounded like a bad idea. In fact, I wouldn't have even trusted Blue with an egg, had we ever received them back when we lived in the Paddock.

...But, then again, Owen had been entrusted with MY egg as I hatched from it, and nothing had happened to me.

And Lana...Yes, I'd only just met her, but she didn't seem like someone who would deliberately harm the egg. Most of the humans in the Alola Region were good(with the exception of Team Skull.) And she couldn't be one of them; how would she have become a Trial Captain, if that were the case?

I held the unborn Pokémon a bit more snugly again, still worried about what could happen.

{**_...If I give you the egg,_**} I told Lana. {**_Will you guard it with your life?_**}

Rotom translated.

"Well, this part of Akala Island is fairly safe; I highly doubt it will get to that point."

{**_You'll watch it?_**}

"Yes."

{**_Keep it warm?_**}

"Oh, absolutely."

{**_Drive away ANY hostiles with any means possible?_**}

"If, somehow, it gets to that point. I will say that Sneasel are common egg eaters, but they only live in really cold climates."

{**_So there aren't any Sneasels around here?_**}

"No. Not wild ones, at least. And trained Sneasel are typically kept in check by their Trainers."

I looked down at the egg one more time, emitting a shakily uncertain sigh as I slowly passed it onto her.

{**_...Rotom. I want you to stay here with Captain Lana and the egg. You're the only other one I MIGHT trust with it._**}

"_I'm on guard, Echo!_"

{**_Okay...I'm going to start the trial. Erm...Before I go, Captain, would you give me a rundown of what I have to do so I can...um...do it right?_**}

"Before we begin, you'll have to see what Pokémon is splashing over in this body of water. Then you'll go to the opposite shore, descend the hill and meet the next pond, where you'll have to battle the Totem. Keep in mind that you won't be able to catch any Pokémon until you clear the trial, and if you exit the gates at any given point before you finish, you'll have to start over from the beginning. Got all that?"

{**_I only have to battle one trial Pokémon before the Totem this time?_**}

"That's right."

{**_Wow...Well, okay. I've got it._**}

"_Good luck out there, bucko!_"

{_**...Stay safe,**_} I chittered to the egg, even though it couldn't hear me.

I re-approached Lapras and chittered to her.

{_**I'm ready.**_}

She nodded at me again, and I carefully stepped up onto her grey shell, steadying myself with my forearms as I saddled it, putting one leg on each side, and, out of sheer irrational fear, pointed the tips of my sickle claws away from the Pokémon's shell.

I was pretty sure I looked ridiculous riding the Transport Pokémon; another reason I wanted to get the trial done as quickly as I could. But when I looked back at Lana and Rotom on the shore, the former flashed me a thumbs up, the egg set securely in her lap.

A nervous chill went up my spine at the sight of it, but I kept reassuring myself that it would be alright, so I nodded back to them, then looked out over the water.

There was something splashing not too far out into the pond. That must have been the trial Pokémon Lana was talking about.

{**_Okay, Lapras. Go head over that way towards the splashing,_**} I instructed the Pokémon, and she complied.

I reached into my bag to fetch Dartrix's Poké Ball; it was likely that these would all be Water-Type Pokémon, and my starter would definitely have the upper hand.

As we went along the surface, I noticed that the sun shining down from above had grown dimmer. It was never too bright to begin with, seeing that it was only morning, but it'd definitely gotten darker. I looked up to see that a mass of grey clouds had obscured it, turning the morning cool a bit chilly.

I didn't know why, but it made the situation a might unsettling.

We reached the spot, and the splashing stopped, a Pokémon rising up out of the water to face us.

...It looked absolutely pathetic.

It was nothing but a scrawny little fish, small enough to be scooped up out of the water with my hat. Any attack would send it flying, likely. I almost felt sorry for the poor creature...But I had to fight it in order to complete the trial. If this was what the Totem Pokémon would be like, then it looked like I was in for an easy victory.

I called out Dartrix, and he hovered over the water with spread wings. The sight of his opponent made him let out a chirpy snicker.

{**_Nothing overboard yet,_**} I told him. {**_Try using Astonish._**}

He obeyed, getting right into the fish's face and giving him a nasty nip, paired with a shrill scream. The Pokémon fainted instantly, though neither of us were really sure if it was the damage that did it in or the frightening noise Dartrix had made.

"_Krrroo?_" Dartrix trilled curiously.

{_**Well, Dartrix,**_} I said to him, a grin spreading across my lips. {**_It looks like we're off to a good start!_**}

"_Kroo!_"

{_**Lapras. Take us to the other side of the pond.**_}

She obeyed, gliding across the surface of the water until we reached its edge, and we unboarded. I kept Dartrix out in the open so we would be ready for our next battle, and we descended towards the next pond. The slope of the hill allowed the Lapras we'd been given to ride to slide down without much effort after us, the dampness of the ground also aiding her.

We made it to the other body of water, and I stepped through the gate with Dartrix at my side, Lapras plodding eagerly along not far behind. Once she reached the shoreline, she pushed herself forward with her back flippers and got herself floating again.

I was about to get back on her shell when I felt something wet hit my snout. I looked down at it to see a droplet of water running down the side of it from the top.

And then another one landed on the ground right beside my foot.

And another on Dartrix's head.

Their number grew, and they began to dampen the ground.

...It was raining.

And it was getting heavier by the second.

{**_Alright, you two, let's do this!_**} I hollered. {**_We don't want to get too soaked, do we!?_**}

I hopped onto the Transport Pokémon, and she was quick to approach the vigorous splashing towards the other end of the pond.

But as soon as she reached the spot, the splashing ceased. A very brief moment of dead quiet followed.

And then came a crash of thunder from above. In an instant, the rain started coming down twice as heavy. I could feel Lapras trembling.

I looked down into the water, and I could see those tiny little fish Pokémon swimming through, coming from all different directions. But they all seemed to be heading to the same spot in the pond, and it looked like they were all accumulating there, forming a giant mass of themselves. Lapras was staring down at the scene, but was much more fearful of it than Dartrix and I were.

Something was about to happen.

The mass of Pokémon grew bigger, and bigger, until it was almost half the size of the monster that me and my sisters faced back home.

{**_No...No, no, not that,_**} I uttered, shaking my head in denial. The last thing I wanted was to face some sort of beast worse than that!

But it looked like it was about to happen anyway. And now I knew just why Lapras was so afraid.

And now, so was I.

With a tremendous splash, something rose up from out of the water; a horrible aquatic beast that was composed completely out of a vast multitude of the tiny fish Pokémon we'd underestimated. Every part of it was made of the fish; it's teeth, its fins, its tail, even its eyes were entirely made of them. It looked like some horrible mutant creature from the depths of my nightmares, almost as terrible as the last awful monster I'd fought.

And now I had Pokémon it could go after.

I snarled. Despite my fear, I was NOT going to let anything like that happen again.

{_**Dartrix!**_} I commanded. {**_Use Razor Leaf!_**}

Sensing my fear, the Blade Quill Pokémon didn't hesitate to follow my order. He fired up the greatest amount of the sharpest leaves he could muster, and then fired them at the Totem Pokémon at blinding speed.

"_Koo, koo, koo-RRRRROO!_"

It was one of the strongest Razor Leaf attacks I'd ever seen from him; a critical hit, no doubt, but even still, it was astounding.

The creature bellowed in agony as the attack landed, the leaves cutting through its form. Just as soon as it'd appeared, the beast began falling apart, the fish Pokémon that made up its body coming away and landing back in the water. It wasn't long until the Totem Pokémon was nothing more than a disorganized school of fish, and now, at the mere sight of the comparatively superior Dartrix, they scattered and fled in a frazzled fashion.

And then they were all gone.

I blinked at what I'd just witnessed. Was that it? Had we defeated the Totem Pokémon? That horrible beast went down with just one Razor Leaf.

Even Dartrix's eyes were wide with shock.

{**_...__Did we win?_**}

He looked back at me from where he hovered, then back at where the Totem had collapsed, then back to me again. He banked one of his wings and headed back over to me to perch on Lapras' shell beside me, still dumbfounded by his own strength. But despite his surprise, he managed a nod.

{**_...Wow._**}

Another crash of thunder sounded off from above, and I realized that Dartrix's feathers were soaking wet. And frankly, so was I.

{**_Let's get back to shore, guys. Rotom, Lana and the egg are-_**}

"Hey! Over here!"

I looked out to the shore; Lana was standing there holding a blue-striped umbrella, shielding Rotom and the egg from the rain. She and my PokéDex were waving for me to return, both of them beaming.

Lapras strode ashore, and I returned Dartrix to his dry Poké Ball as I hopped off of the Transport Pokémon.

"I...I must say I find myself at an impasse here," Lana admitted, returning her Lapras to her Poké Ball. "All of the Wishiwashi that I so diligently trained up for this very moment were defeated so easily...But at the same time, I can't possibly let your completion of my trial go uncelebrated. I may be somewhat frustrated at the swift fall of my Totem Pokémon, but just how impressed I am with your Dartrix alone far surpasses that. You were amazing, Echo. Truly impressive. You bare the marks of an excellent Pokémon Trainer."

"_Bzzzt, didja hear that bucko!? Even the Trial Captains think you're amazzzing! You've got nothing to worry about!_"

Now I was smiling along with them.

"Your Dartrix is a fine specimen," she continued. "...But I do assume you have at least one or two more Pokémon along side you beside him and this egg?"

She motioned down towards the egg in her arms.

"Oh, yes. That reminds me. You'd probably like it back now, wouldn't you?"

I stepped underneath the umbrella in order to keep the egg dry during the exchange, and she carefully passed it on to my awaiting arms. I chittered softly to the unhatched Pokémon, wondering if it could hear me.

{**_I'm back,_**} I purred to it. {**_I'm back and I'm right here._**}

"Let's take this conversation to the Pokémon Center just outside of here so we can get you and your Pokémon dried off some. Knowing what Dartrix are like, yours would probably like that idea. Now, me? I typically like being out in the rain. I admit the main reason I took it out were for your teammates' purposes."

{**_Really? You did that just for them?_**}

"_It'zzz a good thing she had it on her, or my circuits probably would've been fried! And Junior here probably might have-_"

He stopped abruptly at what happened next. The egg shifted in my grasp, and I could have sworn I heard a tiny noise come out of it.

...It'd heard me.

"Well..." the Trial Captain remarked. "It seems like whatever Pokémon is in your egg is doing just fine. But we should still get it somewhere warmer before that changes."

{**_I'm not the biggest fan of being wet myself,_**} I chattered as we went up along the path. {**_Everything go alright while I was gone, Rotom?_**}

"_Well, you were barely gone for five minutes! There wazzzn't much time for anything to go wrong! Hee hee!_"

"**_Hm..._**" I scoffed. It was probably funny because it was true; one hit and the Totem Pokémon was down. Looking back it seemed fairly anticlimactic, but if Dartrix could really do that much to something as big and powerful as this, then he would certainly win me a lot of battles in the future.

"By the way...Did you two know that I reeled in a red Gyarados once with my trusty fishing rod?"

"_A Gyarados!? You mean the Atrocious Pokémon known to destroy entire cities when its mad!?_"

He displayed the Pokémon on his screen as he gave the description; a giant serpentine fish-like creature with a flailing blue body and a furious gaze. It would have likely been more frightening than the Totem Pokémon itself had I been seeing it in real life.

"_Wow...A red one? Really, cap'n?_"

Lana giggled.

"Well, what do you think?"

* * *

_..._

* * *

"I have to say, I'm more than a bit curious about you, Echo," Lana told me as we sat at the café, both of us sipping on mugs of hot Tapu Cocoa she ordered. "Would you mind telling me some things about yourself? Where you're from, what it was like there? I don't mean to prod, though; I'm only wondering."

{_**Well...**_} I replied, Rotom doing a good job of translating for me yet again. {**_It's all kind of fuzzy. I've been remembering bits and pieces as I go along, and I've put some of them together, but I don't have a big picture yet. And I know a lot more things now than I used to. Like, before I came to Alola, for some reason, I  
...couldn't understand any of you humans. But now I do, all of a sudden. And I have no idea why._**"

"Peculiar...Are there any others like you?"

{**_Yes...Well, there were, at least, I know that for sure. My sisters...There were four of us: me, Delta, Charlie and Blue. And then there was our Alpha, Owen Grady; he was a human, like you. And he had an assistant Alpha...We all called him Alpha-Beta, but he did have a human name...What was it...Barry, I think? Yes, I think that was what it was._**}

"So, where are they? Why is it only you?"

{**_They...We...Well, I guess I can't bottle it up,_**} I decided reluctantly. {**_Just a number of days ago, my sisters and I were all let outside to chase something down, and that something tured out to be this...monster of some sort. It didn't look like anything that should exist...And it made us attack humans for it. We didn't want to, but...It told us it'd kill us if we didn't._**}

"That's...This sounds serious. I don't know why no one's heard anything about this incident."

{**_So, we ended up chasing some humans back to Main Street where I'm from, and when we got there...I don't exactly know how, but Owen convinced us all to stop what we'd been ordered to do and retaliate against the monster._**}

"What happened with that?"

{**_Charlie wasn't there when it happened. I don't know what might've happened to her...But the last I saw of Blue was the monster slamming her into a wall, and I saw Delta get thrown somewhere while she was attacking the monster, and then there was an explosion, then the monster threw me across Main Street. It must have hurt me pretty badly, but I managed to get back up and run away, and..._**}

"And what?"

{**_Well...The next thing I knew, I was lying on the beach just outside the Professor's lab back on Melemele._**}

"It sounds bad."

"_She doezzn't really like talking about it, I don't think," Rotom added. "She has a pretty pessimistic view on the whole ordeal. The good news is, though, that she's finding a new place here in Alola, with new friendzzz and family to sort of fill in the gap! Zzrt!_"

I nodded in response to him.

"Well, I'm glad everything's going alright for you since you came here...I hate to cut it short, Echo, but there are likely to be more Trainers showing up for their Trial here soon, so I'll have to return to Brooklet Hill."

{**_Are you sure you don't want me to pay for my part of the order? I still have 1__00₱._**}

"No, no, it's no big deal; the drinks here at the café aren't expensive, anyway...Well, good luck to you. Oh, and I should notify you; Kiawe's trial is up next for you, and that's in Wela Volcano Park in eastern Akala. Rotom should be able to guide you there when the time comes."

"_Kiawe's Trial is in Wela Volcano Park. We got it! Thanks, cap'n, bzzt!_"

Saying this, she left the Pokémon Center. I downed the rest of my drink, then picked up Dartrix at the front desk. The Pokémon Center nurse had dried him off for me, as he hadn't been in much need of healing. When I approached the front desk, my Pokémon fluttered over to me and perched on top of my pack. I nodded to the human in thanks, then turned to leave the building myself.

"We hope to see you again!" she called out.

When I stepped out onto the grassy ground outside, the rain had mostly lifted, save for a few stray droplets here and there. Nothing that would put Rotom in any danger, and nothing that Dartrix would be particularly bothered by. And certainly nothing that would get the egg cold, so I decided to backtrack to Paniola Town and see if I could find my way to Wela Volcano Park from there.

I'd only just gotten started again when I saw something happening barely halfway down the road.

Hau had since caught back up to me, and he was returning his fainted Brionee back to her Poké Ball.

"Oh, well! Guess we lose this round! Ha ha ha!" he laughed.

His opponent was giving him a cynical look.

"Are you even taking this seriously?"

"Seriously? Heck yeah! I seriously enjoyed that!"

The other human scoffed in an unamused fashion.

"...You probably wouldn't know anything serious if it died right before your eyes," I heard him mutter to himself.

I didn't like this human. And he was wearing black...He wasn't a member of Team Skull, was he?

I let out a concerned chuff, and Hau turned around to see what the noise was.

"Oh, hey, Echo! Check this guy out! He's plenny scary!"

I looked over at the other human, and that was when we made eye contact.

And from the look in his eye, I could tell that he meant business.


	14. Chapter 12: Team Building

The human in black didn't look half as surprised as I expected him to be, his green eyes scanning me up and down curiously.

"So...You're Echo, huh?"

I approached warily, keeping Rotom floating behind me and clinging to the egg I held a bit more tightly.

{_**...Who wants to know?**_} I inquired.

"_Y-yeah! Who wantzzz to know, huh, pal!?_"

"Hm...So you have sense enough to be wary. Not bad...Shame you're so easy to spot."

I looked back over to Hau, and he just shrugged in response. Both of us were fairly confused by all of this.

"Anyway, yes. I know some things about you..." he continued. "...But at this point, who on this island doesn't? You can imagine that when a Pokémon Trainer with scales, teeth and claws like sickles comes to town, word spreads pretty quickly."

I gave off another nervous chuff. This human gave me a bad feeling about things.

"Anyways, enough about you...I'm Gladion. Me and my partner, Null, are training to get stronger...But nowadays, most of our time gets used up doing small jobs for Team Skull."

So I was right! He WAS one of those Team Skull thugs!

As soon as he said their name, I narrowed my eyes, got into his face and let out a threatening hiss. I knew he'd already beaten Hau; if I hadn't stepped in, he might have made off with his Pokémon!

{**_Get out of here,_**} I snarled at him, and to my delight, he was actually taken somewhat aback this time. {_**And if you ever cross me or any of my friends again...**_}

"Jeez, what even ARE you!? Don't you have to be able to SPEAK to be a Trainer? How did you even qualify?!"

I stopped snarling when he said that, and his words whittled away at the sharp anger I'd developed.

...He had a point.

"Hey!" Hau intervened. "You got some nerve, pal, talkin' to her like that! I'd even go as far to say she's got more humanity than you Team Skull punks!"

Gladion scoffed at him.

"Do you actually think I ENJOY doing dirty work for them?" he retorted. "I don't like them any more than you do, but I'm stuck doing it until Null and I are strong enough to fend for ourselves...Which brings me to my second point."

He pulled a Poké Ball out of his pack.

"Battle me, Echo. I won't take no for an answer."

He tossed the capsule and released his first Pokémon: a Zubat. It let out a screech upon entering the battlefield.

"Well, are you gonna send out your Pokémon or just stand there holding that egg like an idiot?"

I gave him an irked craw, then carefully placed the egg down at Hau's feet.

{**_Make sure nothing happens to this while we fight, alright?_**}

"Whoa, cool! Where'd you get this? The Nursery? What do you think's in it?"

{**_I don't know. Just keep it safe, alright?_**}

"It's safe with me, pal!"

I nodded in satisfaction, then dug out one of my own Poké Balls and sent out Red to handle the situation.

"_Rucha!"_ he squawked.

{**_Red, we've got another Zubat. Kick this off with Aerial Ace._**}

He nodded, a confident smirk spreading across his beak as he fired up his attack. The Zubat's wings started to glow also, but it wasn't fast enough to land the first hit, and our Aerial Ace came right at it, landing two swift, solid strikes on the enemy. Before either of us knew it, the Poison-Type had stopped flapping its wings, and it fluttered lazily to the ground before its master.

"Zubat. Return," he ordered, sucking it back into its ball and pulling out his next one. "Alright, Null. Show her how it's done!"

He called out his second Pokémon, which was...

The strangest-looking thing I'd seen yet!

It was on all fours, with claws in the front and paws in the back, a fish's tail, a large axe head of a crest coming up out of its head and a face obscured by a tight-fitting mask, covering all of its head except for its peering grey eyes. It emitted an eerie-sounding growl upon its emergence.

Even the cocky and confident Red was put off by the sight of it. The Pokémon just...didn't look like anything natural.

{**_Red,_**} I commanded. {**_Try a Karate Chop and see what it does._**}

He approached the enemy Pokémon with a glowing fist at lightning speed, landing the attack and dealing a considerable amount of damage...But it wasn't enough to K.O. it in just one hit, and the opposing Pokémon retaliated with a Tackle attack, slamming into Red with the downward-sloping spike on the front of his crest. We were happy to learn that this "Null" creature wasn't as strong as it looked, only doing so much to Red with its Tackle, and he was able to brush it off quite well.

{**_One more Karate Chop, Red! We've got it right where we want it!_**}

He was already within close quarters of the opponent, and he fired up his claws again and sent them flying right across Null's chest as they glowed red with fury. It staggered back upon the blow, trying to keep itself standing, but it was of no use, as its legs gave way and let it fall to its side in a faint.

We beat it.

{**_Excellent job out there, Red!_**} I called to him, and he swelled up with pride, fluttering back over to my side and sounding off a victorious caw.

Gladion, however, was visibly frustrated by his loss.

"Urgh...! Not again...How annoying!"

He huffed out a sigh as he returned his fainted partner back into its Poké Ball.

"...Looks like we've got a ways to go, still...And here I thought I could take you on. Guess you're stronger than I expected...Ugh...It's not like me to slip up like that."

{**_So...You say you work for Team Skull, but you don't actually consider yourself...one of them?_**} I asked him as I returned Red to his own ball. Rotom seemed a bit hesitant to translate my question, I noticed; maybe he was intimidated by this Gladion character.

"That's about right," he said to me. "And since I'm not a hundred percent on their side, I'll give you a piece of advice: I'd watch my back if I were you. Once word of the little incident on Melemele Island reached the boss, he sent out an order to all the grunts telling them to pitch a battle with you if they see you, wherever and whenever...You know what I'm talking about, right?"

I looked down at the black claws on my hands; the blood from then had long since washed off, but I could still see it. I nodded solemnly.

"Look...I know that guy. And he's the type to pick a fight whenever he gets the chance...I'd say he probably deserved it. All of these freaks are hooligans. Whenever they send me out to do something, I at least make sure nobody actually gets hurt...Anyway, keep an eye out for them. And once you take on the Ula'ula Trials, if ever, that's when you ESPECIALLY need to be lookin' over your shoulder. That's where they're little hideaway is, and they've turned that town into their own personal playground. I hope you've got a plan for a strong enough team, because even if you could beat me, just a Hawlucha and whatever's in that Egg ain't gonna cut it."

"Hey!" Hau called out to him again. "She's got a Dartrix too!"

"_And that thing downed Captain Lana'zzz Totem Wishiwashi with just one Razzzor Leaf! I should know! I was there! Zzrt!_"

"...Huh. I guess that IS fairly impressive...But still. You've got a long way to go...And so do I. So don't go pitching battles you know you can't win. You'll just end up hurting your Pokémon...And they're pretty good Pokémon, so treat 'em right."

He turned to leave, heading back down the path towards Paniola Ranch.

"Oh. And for the record..." he added, turning to face me one more time. "...I think 'Echo' is a bit better than 'Scarface', so don't hesitate to teach anyone who calls you the latter a lesson if you can."

Then he turned again, disappearing down the road. Hau and I exchanged curious glances.

"That guy's a piece o' work, huh?" he commented. He was sitting on the ground with my egg held securely in his lap. "Hey, at least he ain't in on the whole gangster thing, you know what I'm sayin'? Heck, I don't even think he even had the thought of stealin' my teammates; seemed to me like he just wanted to test his strength."

{**_I guess you have a point,_**} I admitted. {**_...I'd still be careful around him._**}

"He gives off some weird vibes, doesn't he? You can kinda tell he's not 'bad', but he's, like...super edgy and stuff, am I right?"

I nodded.

"Yeah. So, uh, you wanna take this lil' guy?" he asked me, motioning down toward the egg. I answered by lifting it back up out of his hold.

"Wonder what it's gonna be when it hatches...!" Hau marveled, standing up and looking down at it as I held it.

And it was at that moment that I heard another noise come out of it, accompanied by a strong jerk to the side.

And then another.

And then on the third one, I heard a small cracking noise. Upon hearing it, I scanned over the tan-spotted shell.

There, just along the side of it, was a hairline crack.

{**_...I think we're about to find out,_**} I chittered.

"Oh, ho, DANG! Uh, should I watch this from a distance? Don't want it comin' out and having ME be the first thing it sees. Then it might think I'M its Trainer instead."

{**_Good point. Step a few feet away, please._**}

I gently placed the hatching egg on the ground and sat in front of it, Hau doing the same at about two yards away. Rotom peeked out from behind me, and we all stared down at it intently as the tiny crack in the eggshell grew wider, longer, and more branched out, slowly but surely.

Finally, the crack stretched out all the way along the middle of the egg, and the shell began to part. I kicked my legs back behind me and lied down, my head on the ground and my neck stretched out, the tip of my snout sitting just inches away from the egg as the Pokémon inside continued trying to chip away at its casing.

And then, as suddenly as it began, it stopped. For several seconds, there was no movement. Had it started losing its strength? No...It couldn't give up now, it was so close!

{**_Come on, now..._**} I gurgled to it. {**_You've got this. You're almost there!_**}

Finally, as though the creature inside understood me word for word, the movement started up again. The shell chipped away along the break going around the egg, and from one of the holes forming along it, something began to push its way through.

I found myself looking at a tiny brown paw.

It tapped against the hole it was forming, making it bigger, and the top half of the egg began to split away even more as the baby inside tried to lift its head up and out of it. As it readied to emerge, it made another small noise, now much more clear without the shell muffling it.

"_...V...vui..._" it squeaked.

The egg tilted forward, and the Pokémon's head finally pushed against the top of the eggshell hard enough to make it fall away, and then it tumbled out onto the ground.

And at that very moment, the sun peeked out from behind the parting clouds and shone down on it.

The newly hatched Pokémon had a tawny brown coat and a puffy, tan mane around its neck, and its long, pointed ears drooped a little with fatigue. Its bushy tail was tipped with a curved pattern, which was the same tan color of its mane, and its little black nose sniffed the air, leading it stumbling along on its short legs...

Right to my own snout.

It collapsed onto my nose, its little forepaws pressed up against it, and for the first time, its tired eyes pried open, looking right into mine. They were a gentle brown, as opposed to my bright yellow ones.

"_Eie...vui?_"

It cocked its head curiously at the sight of me, its long ears finally perking the way they should. Hau carefully stepped forward to behold the scene for himself.

{**_Welcome to the world, little Pokémon,_**} I chittered softly to it. I wasn't really sure what to say to it, but I knew I could just sit there and stare at it. {**_I'm...I'm going to be raising you. Does that sound alright?_**}

"_Eievui!_"

The newly hatched Pokémon nuzzled its nose against mine. Its voice was weak, but I could still sense the excitement in it, and it looked back up at me and smiled.

It _smiled._

"_Do...d-do you know what she said?_" Rotom buzzed, his large, blue eyes glossed over with tears.

{**_It's a she?_**}

"_I can tell by the tail pattern!_"

{**_What'd she say?_**}

"_She...She called you 'mama.'_"

My eyes widened. This tiny Pokémon had only just emerged from the egg and she'd already stuck to me like glue. Was this actually happening?

{**_Is...Is that what you think of me as?_**}

"_Eievui,_" she confirmed, tapping it paw against my nose in a playful manner. "_...Vuui~!_"

The creature yawned, then slowly curled up just behind my head, her bushy tail curving around her and forming a fluffy brown ball. That was the selling point; I began spilling my own tears of joy. I was a parent. I'd never been more happy.

Hau approached a bit more again. He was safe to do so, now, as the Pokémon had already imprinted on me.

"Wow...Hey, I'll be right back. I'm heading over to the Nursery! Got somethin' to show ya!"

He stood back up and made a mad dash for Paniola Ranch, leaving me, Rotom and the newly hatched Pokémon alone...

I suddenly realized that I didn't know what kind of Pokémon it was.

I cleared my throat, then quietly chattered to my PokéDex.

{**_Rotom,_**} I ordered. {**_Care to scan the new teammate?_**}

"_Bzzt! It'd be my honor!_"

He quietly buzzed in front of the snoozing creature.

"_Scanning...Scanning...Scan complete!_

"_Eevee: The Evolution Pokémon! It has an unstable genetic makeup, and is very eazzzily influenced by its surrounding environment. Because of its remarkable adaptability, it hazzz the potential to evolve into a total of eight possible different forms! Zzrt!_"

{**_Really? She could be one of eight possible Pokémon when she evolves?_**}

"_That'zzz right!_"

{**_How will we know what she'll be?_**}

"_Well, that depends on how you raise her! I hear that in some cases, it even dependzzz on the location or time of day!_"

{**_Is that so...? Well...I guess we'll find out when the time comes._**}

I looked down at the little Eevee, reminiscing of everything that'd just taken place.

{**_I'm actually surprised at how well she can walk already,_**} I marveled, remembering how she's just picked herself up on her short little legs and followed my scent to reach me. {**_When I first hatched, I could barely move, but she could get up and move right away? To say the least, I'm in awe._**}

"_Same here! And she'zzz surprisingly graceful for a Pokémon that just hatched!_"

{**_Yeah...Graceful..._**}

That was when it hit me.

{**_That's it, then. That's her name._**}

"Pardon?"

{**_Her name is Grace...because she's the very embodiment of it._**}

"_Oh, wow...Fitting! I like the way you think!_"

{**_Well, you're the one who gave me the idea._**}

"_Aw, come on, Echo, you're flattering me!_"

"Hey, fellas!"

{**_Huh?_**}

"_Bzzt?_"

"_Vui?_" Grace squeaked, having been aroused by Hau's call. She saw him coming, and immediately looked worried by him.

"_E-eievui..._" she trilled nervously, looking to me for an answer as to who this human was.

{**_He's a friend,_**} I assured. {**_He won't hurt you._**}

She nodded, but still seemed wary of the human as he skidded to a halt just in front of us.

"Guys, I'm back! So, Echo, remember how I caught a Pokémon just yesterday before we battled last?"

I nodded.

"Well, I didn't get to show him to you then since he was so rowdy, but since then I've gotten him trained up okay! Had to stick 'em back in the P.C. for a bit, though; little guy still hasn't warmed up to me all the way, so he can get a little...uh...uppity. But we're getting somewhere! Here, check it out!"

He pulled a Poké Ball out of his pack and tossed it, releasing what was inside.

It was another Eevee, but this one was notably bigger and stronger, and the pattern at the tip of its tail wasn't as curved as Grace's, being more jagged.

"_Vui, eievui!_" it chippered.

"We've both got Eevees now! Ain't that awesome!?"

I nodded excitedly. It was an unexpected surprise, but a welcome one.

"_Vui...?_"

Grace seemed skeptical of Hau's Eevee, which had now caught sight of her and was curiously approaching. The former curled into herself more tightly the closer the latter came, and while I knew Hau's Eevee was only satisfying its curiosity, I still kept a close watch on he scene to make sure nothing went wrong.

"You wanna be friends with her, bud?" Hau suggested to his Pokémon.

"_Eievui!?_"

Right when he said it, Hau's Eevee scrambled to get away from mine, much to Grace's relief. He returned to his Trainer, sticking his nose up and emitting complaints.

"_Eie, eievui, eievui vui, eievui_!" it protested.

"What's his issue, Rotom?" Hau inquired, not knowing why his Eevee seemed so against the idea.

"_He says he doezzzn't want to be friends with her,_" he answered, seeming a bit amused by the older Eevee's bantering.

"Why's that?"

"_Becauzzze, quote, 'she's a girl, and girls are gross.'_"

"_Vui, eievui!_" the male Eevee confirmed with a nod. Grace narrowed her eyes at him in contempt.

"Real mature, Eevee..." Hau commented. "Oh, well. Maybe he'll change his mind down the road!"

"_EIEVUI!_" his Pokemn denied.

"Ah, get back in your ball, you. Why don'tcha save your anger for the battlefield?"

He returned his Eevee back into his Poké Ball.

"I'm gonna see how well we fare in the Brooklet Hill Trial. Captain's name is, what was it...Lana, right?"

I nodded.

"Thought so. Okay, I'll catch up here in a while, maybe give you some space with your new teammate. See you guys!"

Hau ran back up Route 5 in a hurry. Grace sat back up and watched him leave, curiously cocked her head, then turned to face me. She didn't seem quite as intimidated by all of the new faces anymore, having gotten to know them some now.

"_...Eievui?_"

Whatever she said, it made Rotom burst into a laughing fit.

"_No, no, no, y-you've got the wrong idea, kiddo!_"

{**_What'd she say?_**}

He rose a blocky appendage to his face to stifle his giggles.

"_She, uh...She thinks Hau's her dad._"

{**_What!?_**}

Now it was MY turn to laugh, and it came out a gurgle of a chatter.

{**_No, Grace,_**} I corrected her. {**_Hau is just a friend. A good one, though._**}

"_Maybe consider him more of a cool uncle! Zzrt!_"

The Eevee then looked over at my PokéDex, then pointed to him with her small, brown paw.

"_Vui, Eievui?_"

This time, the Electric-Type laughed so hard he dropped right to the ground. Considering the topic we were on, I was fairly sure I knew what she just asked.

{**_Neither is Rotom,_**} I chortled. {**_Or Dartrix, or Red._**}

"_Vui?_" she uttered, tilting her head the other way and standing all the way up, her long ears pointed upward in a curious manner.

To answer her, I stood up and pulled the Poké Balls I had stored away from my pack.

{**_Come on out, team. You have a new friend._**}

The two bird Pokémon emerged, and when they materialized, they looked down at the Evolution Pokémon standing by my side.

"_Rrrroo?_" Dartrix trilled, scanning over the mammalian creature. In response, Grace sniffed the air to get his scent, then cautiously approached him.

An intrigued smile formed across his beak, and he extended one of his wings for her to inspect, to which she nudged it a bit with her tiny black nose.

"_Eie, eievui!_" she greeted him, positioning herself underneath his wing in trust.

"_Rucha..._"

Red, however, seemed skeptical about her, scratching the back of his head with his claws.

{**_What's the problem, Red?_**} I asked him, to which he gave his answer, which was translated by the ever faithful Rotom.

"_Ooh, I see what he's getting at. He'zzz not sure how well she'll fare against enemies right off the bat. She just came out of the egg, so she's probably not a hundred percent up-to-snuff in termzzz of fighting capability._"

"_Vui..._" Grace pouted, narrowing her brown eyes at Red some. The Hawlucha simply shrugged in return.

{_**Well, how do you propose she learn?**_}

He pondered for a moment, scarlet wings folded over each other, then perked back up and snapped.

"_Haw, lucha!_" He answered, pointing to himself.

"_Oh, izzz that your idea, huh? Red wants to know if he can show her the ropezzz the next battle he pitches! He is part Fighting-Type after all, and what better Pokémon to teach a rookie the basiczzz of battle than one with a Type centered around it? Bzzt!_"

{**_That's...actually not a bad idea, Red. When do you propose we start?_**}

"_Eie, vui!_"

To my surprise, Grace actually seemed eager to begin.

"_Right now?"_ Rotom questioned. "_Are you sure you don't wanna hang out and relaxzzz a bit longer? You did just hatch._"

"_Vui, vui, eievui!_"

Despite having emerged from the shell mere minutes ago, she seemed rearing and ready to learn to fight, as all Pokémon did.

{**_Well, should we make our way to Wela Volcano Park, then?_**} I suggested.

"_I'm on it, boss!_" the PokéDex buzzed, displaying the map on his screen.

"_We can get to Wela Volcano Park through a branch off of Route 6! All we need to do izzz pass through Royal Avenue and head out the northern exit!_"

{**_Great job, Rotom. Grace, I have a Poké Ball here for you._**}

I dug one of the two Poké Balls I had on me out of my pack, and placed it in front of the Eevee for her to inspect. She sniffed it curiously, but then nodded in understanding as she touched her nose to it, letting herself be turned to red mass and be encapsulated. The ball clicked, and she was in. I returned my other two Pokémon before turning to head down Route 6, my PokéDex's map displayed in front of me.

{**_Alright, Rotom. Lead the way._**}

* * *

_..._

* * *

It was a particularly busy street, and a well-developed one, as well. The landscape was well-trimmed and blossoming with trees and flowers, there was a convenient Pokémon Center along the side of the road, a Malasada Shop across from it, a nice fountain, and...

{_**Wow...What's that place, Rotom?**_} I asked, pointing a claw towards the giant, flashy building along the stretch of the pavement.

"_Oh, that's the Battle Royal Dome! Trainerzz go there to participate in Battle Royals!_"

{**_Battle Royals?_**}

"_It's tense! Four players go head-to-head, each fending for themselvezzz! You don't know who's gonna go after who until it getzzz into the nitty-gritty! It makes me excited just thinking about all that action...Hey, I have an idea! Why don't we give it a shot while we're here? Who knowzzz? You might end up liking it! Bzzrt!_"

"**Hmmm...**" I hummed. {**_I don't know. It sounds a little intense. Going up against three other Trainers at once?_**}

"_Well...If you say so! But if you ever change your mind, you can always come back to give it a go! Bzzrt! In the mean time, I think I should warn you; Wela Volcano Park izzz hot__! You might want to stop and prepare for the heat!_"

I nodded, then went along the dirt path towards the Malasada Shop, eyeing the fountain on the other side of the path from it. I took a cautious sip; the freshwater in the pond was cool and clean, so I kept at it.

"_Wow...You must have been thirsty. Hey, don't drink too much, or you'll turn into a living water balloon! Zzt!_"

At that notion, I finally rose my head, then splashed the water across the scales on my face before going back the way we came onto the main road.

We passed the dome, ran past a large store of some sort, and then turned north along the path. The air grew hotter, and the ground dryer.

{_**Oh, boy...We'd better take it easy. Do you think there are some strong Pokémon here, Rotom?**_}

"_Oh, you bet! Let's go see if we can find some! To the west!_"

We turned west, and the ground grew warmer. Patches of dry grass were dispersed across the rocky plain, and I smelled all sorts of unfamiliar Pokémon throughout the area.

I pulled out two Poké Balls, releasing Grace and Red out into the open.

{**_Alright. Rotom, how well would Dartrix fare in battle around here?_**}

"_Not well; Grass-Types are weak against Fire-Types! And there are lotzzz of Fire-Types in thezzze parts!_"

I nodded, keeping my starter Pokémon safely tucked away as we approached the first patch.

{**_You know the drill, Red; we show Grace how it's done, then see how well she does on her own. Got it?_**}

"_Lucha,_" he nodded.

{**_Okay. Let's see what we get in here._**}

I stepped into the grass, pointing my nose down to try and sniff something out. Something rustled in the grass just a foot or so away, and I barked to get it to come out.

And out of the grass it sprang!"

"_Fletch!_"

It was another bird Pokémon, with a small, ashy grey body and a bright red head.

{**_Another Flying-Type?_**} I complained. {_**Well...It'll work for practice. Show 'em what we're made of, Red!**_}

The Wrestling Pokémon leapt out to face his opponent, beating his clawed fists together.

{**_Now, watch closely at what we do,_**} I alerted my Eevee. She nodded in understanding and stood along the sidelines.

{_**Alright, Red! Go right in for an Aerial Ace!**_}

He spread his wings and took to the air, and the smaller bird Pokémon was too slow to dodge his double-hitting attack. Being as weak as it was, it fainted in an instant.

{**_That was an easy one,_**} I remarked. {_**Grace. Do you think you can take the next one?**_}

Her eyes were wide at what she'd just seen, but then she shook the shock out of her head and nodded

{**_Alright. Let's find you someone to go up against._**}

I nosed around the grass a bit more, and it didn't take long to disturb another Pokémon. This creature was no bird, however; it was a slightly bigger, stockier creature, and its face was hidden behind an old skull that it wore. It threatened to attack by drawing back the bone in its hands.

{_**Erm...Grace? Maybe we should find another-**_}

"_Eievui!_"

She wasn't quite so cautious; she wanted to battle this Pokémon regardless of how strong it was.

{**_Well...If you're sure. But I'll pull you back in if it starts to look hairy. What kinds of attacks do you know? Any?_**}

"_Vui, Eievui!_" she confirmed with a nod, then turned and began to growl at the enemy. The Pokémon backed away some, the grip on its bone club lessening slightly.

"_Ooh! She's using her Growl Attack! It makezzz a Pokémon's attack power weaker! Good way to start off!_"

{**_That might get us somewhere. Keep it up!_**}

For something so small and young, I was surprised with the noises that came out of her; they were very intimidating...to the enemy Pokémon, at least. I thought it was cute.

Eventually, it had backed away enough and loosened the hold on its weapon enough that I thought we could go in for an attacking move.

{_**Grace! You don't happen to know the move Tackle, do you?**_}

She sent a smirk in my direction, then stiffened her feet, pawed at the ground, then charged at the wild Pokémon, sending it flying back.

"_CUBONE!_" it hollered as it was knocked onto the dusty ground. But it got right back up, the bruise on its middle superficial.

{**_Wow...Not bad! Rotom, is this thing called a, um...'Cubone?' That's what it cried out._**}

"_I already got a scan on it! Allow me!_"

The image of the Pokémon flashed across his screen.

"_Cubone: The Lonely Pokémon! It wearzzz the skull of its deceased mother on its head to hide itzzz face. When in cries for her, it might accidentally attract predatorzzz, like Mandibuzz! Bzzrt! Ah...Poor fella._"

{**_Do you think it might want to come with us?_**}

"_Cu, cubone!_" the Pokémon declined staunchly, giving me an angry glare.

"_Oh. Uh...He sayzzz he'd rather stay here and be tough than turn into a wimp. Because that what he says we are._"

I rolled my eyes; sounded to be like it was jealous of my Pokémon, but too proud to admit it.

That was when the Cubone drew in towards Grace for another attack.

{**_Tackle! One more time!_**}

The Eevee tackled, and the Cubone halted upon the impact. But it wasn't enough to get him to stop, and he drew his bone back and thwacked it against my Pokémon's side.

"_Eievui!_" she yelped as she was thrown down to the dirt.

I barked for her, digging her Poké Ball out as she got up from being knocked over and hurt some. She yelped in protest, not wanting to have to stop fighting yet, but I got her back in the safety of the capsule before she could argue too much, then sent Red back out.

{**_Red! Karate Chop!_**}

He swiftly obeyed, taking what was left out of the opponent with a swift chop of his claws. I actually felt somewhat bad for the poor Cubone as he ran off into the tall grass again; if only he'd given us the chance...But it seemed he'd rather be by himself than travel with us, so I decided we shouldn't bother him anymore.

Once that was said and done, I took Grace back out of her ball in order to assess her battle damage. There was a tender spot where the Lonely Pokémon had landed his bone club, but other than that, there wasn't much of anything to be concerned about.

And even after that, she was STILL ready and rearing for a challenge.

{**_I don't know, Eevee. The Pokémon around here seem a little strong for you._**}

"_Eievui, vui, vui!_" she insisted. I let out a low gargle of a sigh at her response.

{**_We'll try this one more time, but if you take anymore damage, we're turning around and going to the Pokémon Center for a while. Besides, I'm starting to regret having come here in the middle of the day..._**}

Even with the generous amount of water I'd given myself not too long ago, the rays of the sun paired with the already present heat of the volcano were adding up and doing a number on my own energy.

{**_Just...One more, and that's it, alright?_**}

"_Eievui..._" she finally, albeit reluctantly agreed.

I reached down and gave the top of her head a light scratch, which lifted her mood again in a hurry. Then, with her and Red alongside me, I kept nosing my way through the tall grass, in search of just one more Pokémon we could battle against.

Finally, I felt the end of my snout bump up against something. But whatever it was...didn't seem to move. Maybe I'd collided with a rock? But it felt a little too...smooth and soft to be a rock. In fact it felt more like my own scales than a-

"_Heh heh heh heh..._"

That was the giveaway. It LAUGHED.

And then, it sprang up out of the bushes with much poise and grace, revealing its slick, black and red form. It had peering, mischievous eyes, and emitted a very oddly sweet aroma from the bright red glowing spot on its back.

The Pokémon beckoned for us to battle it, curling one of the digits on its slippery-looking hands toward itself.

{**_I don't like the looks of this one. Rotom. Scan._**}

"_Will do!_"

"_Salandit: The Toxic Lizard Pokémon! It emits a sweet-smelling poisonous gas from the sac on itzzz back and tail to attract both prey and challengers! The malezzz will do whatever the females tell them, including giving them most of their food! Becauzzze of their malnutrition, male Salandit can't evolve. What a shame! Zzrt..._"

{**_Is this one male?_**}

"_Scanning...Scanning...Yep! It is!_"

{**_Let's see how well Grace does against it; doesn't look quite as sturdy._**}

"_Eievui!_" she agreed, standing her ground before the enemy. The wild Salandit rolled his eyes, then, fired up something in his mouth.

"_Hey, be careful, bucko! Thozzze flames can't only burn; they can poison!_"

{**_I'll keep that in mind. Grace, try a Tackle attack!_**}

She honed in on the opponent, but couldn't reach it in time before he spat out a small, flaming projectile at her. She staggered some upon the impact, but still stood.

"_Eievui...!_" she snarled. "_Eie-VUI!_"

That was when she kicked up a good, big puff of dust from the ground and sent it flying into the enemy's eyes, blinding it!

"_Sal-!? Grrrrack!_" it exclaimed, trying to wipe the sand from its eyes.

"_A new move! Sand Attack! That'll come in handy! Bzzt!_"

{**_Keep it up! Let's show this guy who's boss!_**}

My Eevee, determined as ever to win the fight, kept kicking up sand into the Salandit's face, and the Toxic Lizard Pokémon tried to counter the attack by continuously rubbing its eyes. But it wasn't of much good; by now, they were so red and irritated he wouldn't be able to see well regardless.

{**_Now! Let's show this guy our Tackle!_**}

But before Grace could start running, the Salandit called out, its alarmed scream echoing across the park.

"_Crrraaaaaug!_"

A few moments passed, and then, out of the grass, another Salandit came to aid the first!

It eyed its comrade, rolling its eyes as its pathetic state, then turned to look at us. There was a flicker of...respect in its gaze. It seemed impressed with how much we'd been able to do to the first Salandit so far. How odd, compared to what we'd first seen of the species.

But that didn't stop it from facing off against us, and the Pokémon aimed another attack, firing it up. An almost smoky smell began to emit from its mouth.

{**_Grace! Dodge! Off to the side!_**}

She obeyed in a huff, just in time to avoid the spiral of thick, disgusting smog coming at her.

{**_Now! Tackle on the first Salandit!_**}

She followed that command, too, sending the enemy Pokémon careening into the dry grass. It still had energy left to fight, but I heard it run off; I guessed that it'd decided not to take any more risks than it saw necessary. Now it was just the second Salandit we had to worry about.

{**_Sand Attack!_**}

The Eevee tried to turn in time to fling dirt into the wild Pokémon's face, but before she got the chance, she was enveloped by yet another puff of smog.

{**_GRACE!_**}

"_Eievui!_"

When the attack cleared, it revealed that she was still standing, but the pained, almost contorted expression on her face indicated something was wrong.

"_Vui...Eie-Eievui..._" she strained, not looking at all well.

"_AUGH! She'zzz been poisoned! We gotta wrap this up and take 'er to the Pokémon Center to get rid of that!_"

{**_Oh, no..._**}

But Grace didn't give up just yet; with one swift sweep, she sent another puff of dust out, finally landing the hit on it. The Salandit staggered back, and just like the last one, tried to rub the dirt out of its eyes, but with little success. I called Red onto the field to step in for Grace.

{_**Alright. Let's show this Pokémon who's boss.**_}

"_Actually, if I might make a suggestion, my scannerzzz indicate that THIS Salandit is a female! And there aren't a lot of females compared to males, so if you wanted to catch it, now'zzz a good opportunity! Besides, if you do, you can REALLY, LITERALLY show her who's boss!_"

{**_REALLY, now?_**} I drawled. {**_Well, then...Grace! If you can manage it, try one more Tackle Attack!_**}

"_Vui, vui, eievui!_"

Despite having been poisoned, she mustered up all of her strength, then sent her little self slamming right into the slender Pokémon's middle. Both of them fell onto the dry ground, and the Eevee pinned the opponent down into the dirt, pressing her paw down on her scaly face.

"_Eie...Vui..._" Grace huffed, an angry spark flashing in her brown eyes.

Then, without any warning, she opened her mouth and bit right into the soft scales on the enemy's neck, causing her to cry out. It seemed to me more like a revenge move than an actual Pokémon Attack, but either worked for me if it meant catching the creature.

I reached for my last Poké Ball, then barked for my fighter to get off of the target. Once she stepped away, I hurled the capsule at the Salandit, and when it hit, the Pokémon was drawn into the ball and trapped. It wobbled once.

Then twice.

Then thrice.

I shut my eyes in anticipation.

{**_Come on, come on...stay in...!_**} I crawed.

_Click._

{**_...Did...Did we get it?_**}

I opened one of my eyes to look where the ball had landed. There it sat, as still as a stone.

We caught it.

"Ya did it, bucko! Knew you had this one in the bag!"

I went over and scooped the ball up; there was a Salandit in there, all my own.

"_Vui, eievui!_" Grace cheered, but then twitched a bit, wavering a bit where she stood.

I stashed the Salandit's Poké Ball away, then scooped Grace up in my clawed hands and raised her up to eye level; for having been poisoned, she seemed in high spirits.

{_**That was pretty good, what you did out there,**_} I praised. {**_Now that you're a little stronger, maybe you'll be up for battling normally?_**}

"_Eievui,_" she agreed, tilting her head forward and pressing her little wet nose against the end of my snort. She curled up in my hold as I carried her out of the park and back towards Royal Avenue. Red followed close behind, and Rotom floated alongside me, as usual.

"_So, about that Salandit,_" he told me. "_There was something about her a little different from the first one, wazzzn't there?_"

{**_Besides the gender, you mean?_**}

"_I mean, she DID seem kind of impressed by the way we'd taken down that first guy, wasn't she? And besides the Smog Attackzzz...well...she DIDN'T really try to put up that much of a fight. And come to think of it, she didn't seem that amuzzzed by the Salandit who called for her. Do you think she might have WANTED to be caught?_"

{**_Huh...I don't know. If she did, it might make things easier for us, I can say that._**}

"_Well, the femalezzz pretty much have it made; they probably don't think to battle that often...I dunno. Doesn't that sound like it'd get boring after a while?_"

{**_You do have a point._**}

"_If that'zzz the case, then I can tell you one thing. Our new teammate is in for a thrill ride! Kzzrt!_"

{**_Yeah...New teammate...Don't you think the team is coming along well so far?_**}

"_Abzzzolutely! And it's diversifying pretty well, too! We've got Grass, Flying, Fighting, Normal, Fire and Poison-Type moves on our side now! That'zzz some good variation!_"

{**_Heh...So, do you think Dartrix might be jealous when he finds out he didn't get to fight out there?_**}

"_I can tell ya now; considering the trial we're takin' on next, jealous izzz the LAST thing he'll feel about it! Ha!_"


	15. Chapter 13: Trial by Fire

I would never get over just how conveniently efficient Pokémon Centers were. They healed your Pokémon, sold gear, items, beverages...It was incredible.

"_Alright! Now that the team'zzz rearing and ready for action again, what's say we take out our new friend and see what she thinks?_"

{_**That's my plan. Let's see how she reacts to all this.**_}

I pulled out the Poké Ball containing my new Salandit and gave it a toss. The Toxic Lizard Pokémon materialized on the floor in front of me.

"_Srrr...?_" she trilled when she saw me, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

{_**Okay, Salandit. I'm your Alpha now, and you're a part of the pack. That means from now on, you'll be following my commands. Understood?**_}

She peered up at me with dubiously squinty eyes, wrinkled up the slick scales on her snout and puffed out a small cloud of smoke in contempt; she wasn't on board with the idea of TAKING orders instead of GIVING them just yet.

{**_Maybe if I put it to you this way: training with us will make you stronger way quicker than you could have imagined being out in the wild. Besides, I can take care of you just as well as those male Salandits out there did, if not better. Think about it; you get the food, the shelter, the attention, and a band of friends to boot. You just have to battle for me, like the rest of my team does. Now are we getting somewhere?_**}

"_Brrrrr..._" she pondered, tapping a finger against her chin. Finally, she hissed in response.

"_Sal, grrrrrrrip!_"

{**_What'd she say, Rotom?_**}

"_She sayzzz that she'll give it a try, but izzzn't making any promises yet!_"

{**_That'll do for now. She did just join us. Well, Salandit, once evening sets in, we'll be heading back out to Wela Volcano Park to take on the next trial. That'll be a good time to get some training in and see what you're capable of. You weren't half bad when we went against you, so I'm willing to bet you'll do marvels for the team, as long as you cooperate._**}

There was a pleased flicker in her lavender gaze, but she tried to hide it with a forced scowl.

{_**Now, one more thing. I need to get you acquainted with everyone else.**_}

I released my other three pack members from their capsules, and they all materialized before her.

{**_This is Dartrix._**}

"_Koo, roo...?_"

He seemed a bit wary of her.

{**_And Red._**}

"_Cha..._"

The Hawlucha gave her an intimidating glare, insinuating that she not try any funny business.

{**_And you should remember Grace._**}

"_Eievui!_"

She was the only one who seemed excited about the new teammate, despite having been poisoned by the Pokémon.

{**You're a new member of the team. I might even give you a nickname, like some of them...I'll have to think of one first, though. Any suggestions, Rotom?**}

"_Ah...I'm blankin' right now, bucko. But you'll get a burst of inspiration at some point! Zzrt!_"

"Oh, man...Guess it's a good thing you got a couple critical hits on that thing, Pikachu. Otherwise, we'd have been toast!"

I turned my head to face whoever said it; there was Hau, entering into the Pokémon Center. I let out a chuff of a greeting, and he looked up to face me.

"Hey, Echo! Didn't think I'd see you still here!" he exclaimed. "Thought you'd be tryin' out the trial on Wela Volcano by now!"

Rotom and I explained to him that the intense heat there this time of day interfered with us doing it right now, and we would wait until the evening.

{**_But while I WAS there, I did manage to snag another Pokémon. Check it out._**}

I pointed down at the Salandit at my feet.

"Oh, WOW! That's ultra-cool!"

{**_How did Lana's Totem Wishiwashi treat your team?_**}

"We were almost obliterated," he admitted. "Pikachu here was the last one standing out of everyone, and he managed a couple stronger Electric-Attacks on that thing when it was finally startin' to get worn down. I was TOTALLY floored by how strong its attacking power was. Everyone took a major beating; even Pikachu here."

The Mouse Pokémon was perched on his shoulder, looking fairly battered and very worn out.

"_Pika, pi..._" it squeaked, a faint smile on its muzzle, flashing us a small thumbs-up of victory.

"So...Your Pokémon all okay?"

I nodded.

"Great...That means I can go ahead to heal 'em right now!"

He did just that, and then motioned for me to sit down with him at one of the tables by the café, and we started up a conversation.

{**_So...What have Lillie and the Professor been up to lately?_**}

"Lillie went to browse the shops for some new duds; said she was gettin' tired of the ones she had now. Said that her mother usually picked out what she wore, and she was supposed to wear, like, ONLY that. Heh...Kinda weird, huh?"

I glanced off to the side, then nodded again.

"Professor Kukui said he was gonna stick with her and help her out...But...I think I might have seen him go into the Battle Royal Dome on my way here? It looked kinda like him, but...I dunno, man. Maybe my eyes were just playin' tricks on me."

{Are you going to be trying the next trial? I won't be going back out there until it starts to cool off.}

"Eh, I think I'm cool here. My team needs a break after that Totem battle. Hey, by the way...I'm not sure if I'd bring Dartrix this time; he'd get CREAMED out there, with all of the Fire-Type Pokémon."

"That'zzz what I said!""

"I can imagine you did, lil' guy...Hey, how 'bout while we hang, we bring out our Eevees again? It'll be funny to see mine all like '_Ew, gross, girls!_'"

We both dug out our Poké Balls containing the Normal-Types, and they materialized on the floor. Hau seemed impressed with how much stronger Grace looked now.

"Dang...She's really lookin' fighting fit, now!"

"_Ei, eievui!_" she chippered happily. His own Eevee rolled his eyes.

"What? Jealous?"

Grace trotted up to her male counterpart and feigned a kissy face, her brown eyes squinted with amusement. In response, he ended up screeching in disgust as he ran all the way to the opposite side of the building as her.

Hau was right; this was DEFINITELY an entertaining idea.

* * *

_..._

* * *

Dusk was one of my favorite parts of the day; the air had cooled, the bright light of the sun had dimmed into a soft glow, and the sky was streaked with brilliant colors. It was special to me, especially knowing now that I could appreciate its beauty. Part of me wondered why I hadn't been able to before, but that thought was usually pushed to the back of my head. I had other things to worry about, now.

Particularly, completing this next trial.

I had since put Dartrix into the P.C. It was an odd mechanic; you would put the Poké Ball into the slot, and the Pokémon, along with its ball, would be transferred directly to the system from there. It said that someone managed the Pokémon from somewhere else, and that the Pokémon stored in a P.C. were not kept in the device itself, but rather taken to an actual place to rest and relax while they waited for their Trainer to return. Technology sure was amazing...

I made my way back to Wela Volcano Park from the Pokémon Center. The blazing heat had now softened into comfortable warmth, and now was the best time, if any, to take on the trial. I had Grace and Salandit's Poké Balls ready to draw in the event of another wild Pokémon attack. Grace was stronger this time around, and I wanted to see if I could fight fire with fire when time came to battle the Trial and Totem Pokémon.

I stumbled across a few more of those small bird Pokémon with the red heads-A "Fletchling," Rotom said they were called-and I sent my Eevee up against all of them. I found out the hard way that her Sand Attack, being a Ground-Type move, did nothing against the Flying-Types, despite not being an actual attacking move. Nonetheless, Tackle and Growl got us through, and the Fletchling didn't use that many powerful moves itself, mainly having just flailed about over my fighter. The more damage it took, the stronger its struggling seemed to be, but it was ultimately nothing worrisome against Grace, who was becoming stronger by the minute. During the second Fletchling battle, she even learned a new move in place of Growl: Baby-Doll Eyes, which lowered an opponent's guard like Growl did, except it could be executed faster.

Needless to say, I was pleased with the diversity of my team, even without Dartrix, but without what I considered my strongest Pokémon, I was a bit of edge, and especially when I remembered that I was low on healing items.

After we made it into the clear, we headed up a small slope, and my nostrils caught wind of a peculiarly familiar scent. I turned my head in its direction and saw something on the ground, nestled among a bare patch in the grass. I took longer strides through the dry vegetation, and picked up the item, reading the label on the bottle.

"HYPER POTION"

"Heals 200 HP!"

{_**Ah, HA!**_} I gurgled. {_**Where did THIS come from?**_}

The bottle was covered in dust, and there was an impression left in the ground when I picked it up, so I figured it had to have been there for a while, and nobody was coming back for it. Knowing that, I slid it into my pack for later use.

{**_I don't know who left that there,_**} I chittered to my PokéDex. {_**But if I knew them, I'd definitely give them my thanks...Uh...Or the potion back.**_}

"Oh, don't get to worried about, bucko! People lose stuff and forget about it all the time! No one will miss it! And you need it, anyway! Bzzrt!"

He did make sense, so I kept going. Grace needed a bit of a break before I could send her out again; she'd gotten quite a bit stronger fighting the Fletchlings, but she was still fairly new to the battlefield, and I wanted a Pokémon with just a bit more experience taking up the next challenge. With Salandit's Poké Ball in hand, I kept going up the slope of the path. There was another patch of grass to my right, as well as...

It was a human; another Trainer, looking for someone to pitch a battle with.

She didn't notice me at first, so I sounded off a bark, and then she turned to face me.

And when she did, she _freaked out_.

I was startled by her panicked reaction, myself; I thought everyone had heard about me by now...Why not this one?

To prove I meant no harm(except maybe towards her Pokémon with my own,) I showed off the red and white capsule in my hand, tossing it up and down a few times.

"Wh...Wait, you, y-y-you want a battle?"

I nodded.

"Ah...Alright."

She pulled out her own Poké Ball.

"Meowth? Let's do this...!"

The creature that emerged was small and curious-looking; it's cream coat was pointed with brown feet and black ears, and there was a shiny gold...thing on its head.

"_Meow...?_"

And then, it looked up and saw me.

"_MYAOW!_"

It darted behind its Trainer, and in attempt to coax it back into the battle, I released Salandit.

"_Hrmmm..._" she trilled skeptically.

"_Meow, meow?_"

The opposing Meowth cautiously came to face my Toxic Lizard Pokémon, then finally got onto all fours and arched its back, trying to ignore me as best it could.

{**_Alright, Salandit,_**} I ordered. {**_This one doesn't look so tough, does it? Start this off with your Smog Attack, okay?_**}

"_Sal..._"

She gave me somewhat of a cynical look, then turned away, not doing much of anything but sit there.

{**_What are you doing?_**} I asked her. {**_Just use Smog! It's not hard!_**}

"Uh...Meowth? Try a Bite Attack!"

{**_SALANDIT, HURRY!_**}

She simply ignored my command, opting to slide to the side as the feline Pokémon tried honing in, teeth bared. She raised her scaly brows at me again, turning up her snout in mock-contempt; she didn't seem keen on cooperating right away.

I knew she was hesitant to join me in the first place, having lost her freedom in the wild, but I wasn't going to get angry just yet. As the Meowht awaited further orders from its Trainer, I tried to reason with my new teammate again.

{**_Come on, Salandit. Just...Use Smog. Please? For me?_**}

She tapped her chin with one of her slick forefingers thoughtfully.

{**_I'll tell you what; If you can win FIVE battles for me before we finish the trial, I'll go ahead and get you something from the Malasada Shoppe back down on Royal Avenue when we're done out here. How's that sound?_**}

"_Sal, salrrrit...!_" she answered, holding up three of her fingers at me now.

"_She said three,_" Rotom translated. "_Take it or leave it._"

{**_Alright, fine..._**} I agreed. {**_Just use your Smog Attack, okay?_**}

"Try a Scratch Attack now, Meowth!"

Now Salandit flashed a sly smile, and when the Meowth got near enough, she drew her head back and let loose a thick, inky cloud of smog from her gaping jaws. The enemy was caught inside the swirling cloud of toxins, and came out of it coughing and sputtering, looking about ready to pass out already.

{**_I think we poisoned it, Salandit!_**} I cheered. {**_Now, try your Ember Attack!_**}

She fired a flaming projectile at the dazed enemy, now, and it hit its target right on point.

{**_Excellent! Now! Uh...What other attacks do you know?_**}

I saw her roll her eyes, and Rotom filled me in on that.

"_I think she might also know Dragon Rage! It's a good move to use against weaker opponents, or ones with less health; it alwayzzz deals a fixed amount of damage to any opponent! U-unless it's a Fairy-Type, at least...Which Meowth is not, I assure you! Kzzt!_"

{**_That might work...Okay, Salandit! Try a Dragon Rage!_**}

She let out a trilling growl, then fired up another missile in her mouth; it was a glowing ball of blue and purple energy, and it blazed with those colors as it shot out across the field like a meteorite towards the opposing Pokémon. Again, the attack made its mark, and finally, the Meowth toppled over backwards into a faint.

"Oh, no..." the human fretted, returning the creature to its Poké Ball. "Oh, no, no, I lost, what am I going to do!?"

"_Uh...Mind if I ask a question?_" my PokéDex spoke up.

"Wait...Aren't you one of those Plasma Pokémon?"

"_Rotom! Yep! That'zzz me! Ah...Are you from here?_"

"No...?" she answered him. "I-I'm visiting here from the Johto Region; I didn't think there would be any Trainers here that looked like this!"

"_Ah, well, that explains it, Echo. She'zzz a tourist! She's not as informed as the locals, I don't think,_" he remarked. "_See, Echo's a special case. She turned up on the beach one day, figured out how to uzzze a Poké Ball and now she's gotten permission to take the Island Challenge! And I function as her map, digital Pokémon catalogue, constant companion and handy-dandy translator! Bzzt!_"

"Wait, so...She's a trial-goer?"

I nodded in answer to this, stepping closer.

"Wow...I've been looking for trial-goers to battle against, but I wasn't expecting this!" she exclaimed, suddenly beaming. "Here! Take this for winning!"

She dug into her own bag and handed me...

1,140₱!

"Whoa! That'zzz a fortune compared to what you've got so far!"

{**_Wow...This is amazing. I guess I'll have to hit the PokéMart again after this._**}

"And your Salandit..." she continued. "She's incredible!"

My fighter feigned modesty, waving her hand at the remark in fake dismissal.

"Although, she's got a bit of nerve, wouldn't you say?"

It was at this that Salandit's eyes finally got big, and she shot the Trainer a displeased look.

{_**I'll cut her some slack; I did just catch her today, after all, so I don't expect her to have warmed up to me just yet,**_} I explained, Rotom translating it.

"Still, she's a bit of a sassafras, wouldn't you say?"

{**_A what?_**} I asked, tilting my head to the side a bit.

"A sassafras. You know, cheeky, defiant, doesn't like to be told what to do."

{**_Sassafrass..._**} I repeated. {**_...That's it._**}

"What?"

{**_That's her name,_**} I decided, without any hesitation. {**_Sassafras._**}

I tipped my hat to the Trainer, not yet noticing the now aptly named Sassafras staring up at me in bug-eyed disbelief.

{**_Thanks a million for the idea. Hope you enjoy the rest of your sightseeing._**}

"You too! Defeated by a trial-goer...A truly Alolan experience!"

I trotted off, heading up th slope to an opening in the mountain. Sassafras was emitting a series of strung-out complaints as she followed after me.

"_Somethin' tellzzz me she hasn't warmed up to that nickname yet, boss._"

{**_I might know what to do._**}

I turned to face her.

{_**You know, you might come to like that name if you were sassy to your opponents instead of your Trainer,**_} I suggested. {**_Give it a try the next time, alright?_**}

She puffed a bit of smoke from her nostrils in response, a frown on her face.

I decided not to bother her anymore right now, and returned her to her Poké Ball before approaching the cave entrance in the mountain. Someone was standing next to it.

"You the Trainer all the locals are talking about?"

I nodded.

{**_Where does this cave lead?_**}

"It leads right to the top of the volcano! I should know; I'm on of the three Seismic sisters, and we just love, love, love volcanoes! We come here all the time!"

{**_That's good to know. I'm here for the trial. Wish me luck._**}

"Sure thing! Good luck!"

With that, I stepped into the cave; it was just barely light enough to see, but the light at the end of the tunnel was visible, so I went up the path towards it. The sooner I got there, the better; the cave air was extremely muggy; the dampness coming from the soil and the heat coming from the heat of the volcano trapped inside of it.

"_Phew...Stay too long in here and I might burn out. Kzzrt!_"

{**_Hang in there, Rotom._**}

The upward slope had added to the exhaustion piling on throughout the ascent, and then, finally, I reached the end of the tunnel, stepping out into the cool night air again. I turned the corner, and there were the trial gates, just waiting for me to enter.

"Good job making it this far!" one of the humans standing there guarding it congratulated me. "Why don't we heal your Pokémon for you?"

I hastily agreed. Grace was the only one who really needed any healing, so it wasn't long until she was all patched up and ready to fight again.

"_Eie, eievui!_" she chippered at me, eyes bright and ready to take on the next foe. I released Red and Sassafras next.

{**_Ready for the trial, everyone?_**}

"_Rucha!_"

"_Hermmmm..._"

{_**Alright...Here we go.**_}

My team following behind me as I stepped through the gates. There was a round, stone podium at the top of the slope, and flaming torches stood blazing on either side of the short stairway. And there, standing right before me...

Was a human.

One that fit the atmosphere of the volcano quite well; his eyes had a fiery glow about them, and his dark skin tone gave off a charred appearance. The sight of him was...a bit intimidating, to say the least. He didn't seem quite as mild-mannered as Illima or Lana; when it came to the trial, it looked like this one meant business.

"...I am Kiawe," he introduced himself, conveying little emotion in his voice. "My Marowak and I are students of the ancient dances that have been passed down in Alola for generations...You will find that this trial will be a bit...different from the ones you have faced to this point."

{**_In that it'll be harder?_**}

"I'll have you know, I know some things about you. You're Echo. You defeated Lana's Totem Pokémon in one attack. You tussled with a raging Tauros and subdued it. You are not a creature to be messed with. You are very capable, and I am convinced that this trial will make you stronger yet, regardless of whether you win or lose. Harder? Perhaps  
...But that isn't the only difference here between the other trials...Though you will have to see that part for yourself. Of course, you will attempt the trial, right?"

I drew in a deep breath through a slightly agape mouth, then let it out through my nostrils before giving a light nod.

{**_I'm ready._**}

"Then let the trial begin!"

When he called out, he was joined by three creatures that hopped up onto the stage behind him. They were all the same species of Pokémon; they all had bare white skulls as heads, and their bodies were a dark, eerie shade of maroon. Each of them wielded a large bone, and each end of it was alight with spooky green and yellow flames.

"_Marow!_"

"_Wak!_"

"_Marowak!_"

{**_These must be his Pokémon...Rotom. I see that their heads are just skulls with eyes and a mouth. Are Marowak the evolved form of Cubone?_**}

"_That'zzz right, pal! Say, you're gettin' good, ya know?_"

{**_I hope that holds up during this trial._**}

"My trial will test your powers of observation," Kiawe explained. "There will be one dance, and then another. Your task will be to spot the difference between the two. Got it?"

I nodded.

"But be prepared! After each dance, you will be engaged in a battle!"

{**_Oh..._**}

"Alright, Marowak! Just like we practiced!"

They all struck a pose, then spun their bone clubs around, the flames at their tips trailing behind their path. Then, they stopped short, all striking yet another pose each. The one in the front of the group was the one that caught my attention the most; it had taken a fighting stance, its bone held behind it in preparation to attack. But it didn't come forward to strike. It just stayed like that for several seconds.

He had trained these dancing Marowak well, no doubt. I wondered how well they fought.

"Now...watch carefully and spot the difference."

The trio of Pokémon started up another dance, just the same as the last time, it looked like...until the end.

The middle Pokémon had struck a different pose; it held its bone in front of it, and was leaning back in a dramatic manner.

"Now...What was different here from the previous dance?"

I gargled out my answer, pointing at the Marowak in the middle with one of the claws on my hand.

"Ah-ha! Excellent job, Trainer," Kiawe praised. "That was truly spectacular. And to add to the spectacle...Marowak! Come forward!"

"_Marow, marowak!_"

That was when the middle Pokémon came forward, aggression flashing in its eyes.

"Alright, trial-goer! Bring forth your Pokémon! The first battle will begin!"

{**_Alright...Grace. See what you can do against this one._**}

"_Eievui!_"

She hopped forward, tail swishing in anticipation.

"_Uh...I'm not sure if that's such a good idea, bucko,_" Rotom told me. "_Eevee'zzz a Normal-Type. Tackle won't do anything against a Ghost-Type like Alolan Marowak! But since she's already out, you might as well try her new move out on it before you send her back! That'll probably work!_"

{**_Thanks for the tip...Okay, Grace, you heard him. Baby-Doll Eyes!_**}

She flashed her eyes at him, and the mild pink glow that emitted from them was absolutely endearing. A skeptical look settled in the Marowak's eyes, and the grip on its bone loosened some.

{_**Keep it up, Grace!**_}

Now her eyes got even bigger, and sparkled more. The enemy Pokémon raised a bony brow, but then tightened the grip on its weapon again. It knew it couldn't let its guard down too much, and if I kept it up too long, I might become predictable.

{**_Alright, Grace, return!_**} I ordered. {**_Red! Let's see what you can do here!_**}

I released the Wrestler Pokémon, and he struck his own pose upon landing.

"_Lu-CHA!_"

{**_Rotom. How well do Fighting-Type moves do against Ghost-Types?_**}

"_No good! They're immuse to Fighting movezzz too! Flying-Type moves, though...They should do something! And to boost, Red will be immune to Ground-Type Attacks!_"

{**_That'll help us...Red! Aerial Ace, let's go!_**}

He flapped his wings to become airborne, then shot himself at the enemy Marowak, wings glowing as they struck. Red's speed had yet to let me down; he was the fastest and most agile Pokémon I had, and he used these traits to his advantage on the field. The opposing Pokémon staggered some, but still stood firmly on the ground after the attack.

"_Marow, Marowak...!_"

It set its entire form alight, then sent itself charging right at my fighter, curling into a ball and rolling out towards him.

{**_Dodge that!_**}

Red was swift to evade as much as he was to attack, springing up out of the way of the enemy as it wheeled by...But when he thought it safe to land, the Marowak made a sharp turn, then slammed right into him from behind!

"_CHACK!_"

He was practically ran over by the attack, but got right back up and shook it off. Some of his feather tips had been slightly singed, but it didn't do much but make him angry at the attacker. He faced it when it stood to its feet again, an angry grimace on his beak.

"_Haw...Cha..._"

{**_Now! Aerial Ace again!_**}

"_Marow..._"

It emitted a low, snarling growl in attempt to ward off its opponent, but we kept at it, and Red struck the Pokémon yet again, passing right by it across the podium. This time, it wasn't quite as quick to get up, and I saw the opportunity to land a finishing blow before it could surprise us again.

{**_One more Aerial Ace! That ought to do it!_**}

He U-turned, then, before the Marowak even saw it coming, hit it one more time, right in the back of the skull. Its eyes widened for a moment, and then it came falling down onto the stage floor, the wind completely knocked out of it. It was defeated.

Kiawe whistled in awe.

"Your Hawlucha certainly knows how to handle a situation like this," he said. "...Even Marowak seems pleased by this."

"_Marow...Wak_!" it agreed, using its bone club to stand to its feet again. It had no more energy to fight, but it could still go on dancing.

"Right, then...Now! On to the second dance!"

The trio of Marowak started up again, all of them striking another pose once they'd finished.

"Now...Watch carefully."

They did the exact same thing again...

But the difference THIS time wasn't any of the Marowak, but rather a new face on the field.

Out of the blue, someone jumped out onto the podium and struck a pose with the Pokémon; it was a human, and he wore an amused grin on his face.

"So, tell me...What's different this time?"

I was very thrown off by this, and as I pointed it out, I was fairly certain my face was locked into a confused stare.

"So, you noticed that, too!"

{**_How could I NOT?_**} I wondered aloud.

"So, now that you've seen him...You'll battle him! Hiker David! Show her what you can do!"

"_Aloooooo-LA!_" he boomed, stepping forward and pulling out a Poké Ball. "Show me watcha got, trial-goer!"

He tossed it into the air, and his Pokémon materialized before him.

...It was a strange-looking creature, with a flaming head and tail and sharp clawed hands.

"Alright, Magmar! Let's see what this Trainer's got!"

"_Mar..._" it bellowed softly.

{**_Sassafras! Now's your time to shine!_**}

I released the Toxic Lizard Pokémon from her confines, and she looked up at her opponent, eyes getting a bit wider and turning to face me. She was unsure about this battle.

{**_Just do as I say, and you should be fine,_**} I reassured her. {**_See what your Dragon Rage does to it!_**}

She glanced off to the side for a moment, still "thinking about it," probably. Was she just doing this to mess with me?

{**_Remember the Malasada Shop, Sassafras..._**}

Finally, she rolled her eyes in reluctant agreement, then fired up the Dragon Rage attack.

"Alright, Magmar! Smokescreen 'em!"

Just when she readied her attack, the opposing Pokémon spewed out a cloud of black smoke from its puckered bill, clouding the entire stage in blackness. From within the inky blackness, I saw the purple and blue-glowing ball of energy fire up into the air, dispersing in the sky. She hadn't been able to see to aim right.

Finally, the smoke cleared, and by now, the Salandit had fired up yet another attack. She knew I would call for the same move again, so she'd prepared for it. Clever...

{**_NOW!_**}

The projectile fired right at the enemy Pokémon, and it sent if flying across the arena. A lot had been taken out of it with just one Dragon Rage.

"Try your Feint Attack, Magmar!"

"_Srrrr..._"

The enemy slowly drew closer, guard seemingly down. I knew we couldn't trust it, so I ordered out my next attack.

{**_Watch out for anything unexpected, Sassafras,_**} I warned her. {**_Do you think you can catch it off guard with a surprise Smog attack?_**}

She looked back at me, then raised her eyebrows, insinuating that I thought she COULDN'T do it.

Then, suddenly, the Magmar clenched its clawed fist and tried to send it into my Pokémon, only to miss. She was fast and slippery, and she slid right out of the attack without so much as a scratch on her. I beamed at her efficiency; I was skeptical about her mildly rebellious attitude, but this Pokémon may hold potential, yet, I hoped.

Once she was out of its way, she spewed a stream of her poisonous smoke into the opponent's face, and I heard it sputter, the flames on its head and tail seeming to flicker. Once the first attack was donw with, she intensified her breath, and this attack was strong enough to obscure the battlefield in smoke yet again.

After a good several seconds, the field came back into vision. The Magmar was on the ground, Sassafras hovering over it, a mocking glint in her eyes. The enemy tried to get back onto its feet, but it had taken too much damage, now, and fell back onto the ground.

We'd won this one, too.

"Whew!" the opposing Trainer puffed. "Your lil' Salandit there sure is a bundle o' power in a small package...Keep it up!"

{**_Hear that, Sassafras? Even he's impressed._**}

"_Hmmm..._"

"Excellent job, all of you!" Kiawe announced. "Now, we move onward...to the final dance! Everyone! You remember what to do!"

In their grande final encore, the three Marowak performed their ancient dance, and at the very end, Hiker David struck the finishing pose along with them. It was hard not to laugh at his inclusion; he was definitely an entertaining character.

"Now...Pay attention, and spot the difference."

They did their routine one final time, and when they struck the pose at the end...

Yet another new face was added to the crowd.

A fifth dancer. It appeared behind two of the Marowak and the human. A tall, thin Pokémon with slick black and pink scales. In an odd way, it almost looked like...

{**_...Sassafras...Is that your...evolved form?_**}

She took a few moments to answer me; her eyes were kept on the new Pokémon, the shock that had initially appeared in them now hardening into contempt. When her eyes had narrowed to the point where I could barely see them, she turned back to me and nodded.

I gave off a bark, and pointed the tip of my snout down at Salandit, who was, in turn, pointing at the new Pokémon with one of her fingers.

"Absolutely right...Your Salandit seems to resent this one's greater power. Females of this species tend to form rivalries with one another...I recommend you fight carefully. This is the Totem Pokémon! Totem Salazzle! Come forth, and show this trial-goer your true power!"

"_Salaaaah!_"

The three Marowak and Hiker David ran off the stage to allow for the Totem Battle, and the Totem Salazzle beckoned her pre-evolved form to make the first move, her eyes flashing with a sort of sly aggression. Sassafras actually seemed somewhat intimidated by this; she slunk toward her opponent slowly, staying close to the ground.

{**_...Alright, Sassafras. Try your Dragon Rage!_**}

She didn't hesitate at all this time, firing up her attack in her open jaws.

But the enemy fired up its own attack, and in its mouth, a fairly large ball of flames was forming. She shot it out at my fighter, and it sped across the field like a comet.

{**_Dodge that!_**}

She tried to slip to the side, but it was too late. The flames had already made their mark, and despite resisting her own type, Sassafras took a fairly bad hit. She couldn't take too many of those; one or two might prove to be too much, and I decided I would have to switch her out if that happened.

Nonetheless, she refused to let her own attack dissipate, and when she finally pulled herself back together, she fired the attack out...Only for the enemy to slide right past it.

It gave me a cynical look, as though to remind me that my Pokémon weren't the only ones who could dodge attacks, and she fired up another flame attack.

This time, we could predict its speed, and I called for my Salandit to zip off to the side before it could land. By now, she was firing up another Dragon Rage attack, and I had conjured my own plan, giving it to my Pokémon in a low snarl.

{**_Feign the move,_**} I whispered. {**_Fake-fling the missile and then when she moves around it, aim the REAL attack at her._**}

She gave me a quick glance, then swung her head towards the Salazzle, who darted off to the side...and the for didn't realize that the Dragon Rage was still in her mouth, and when it got back onto its feet from avoiding the attack, she was only met with the ball of draconic energy slamming her in the chest and dispersing the damage across her entire body.

Again, the Dragon Rage attack did a lot; the Totem Pokémon doubled down onto all fours and tried to keep herself from writhing in pain...But then, another sly grin formed on her face, and she let out a trilling series of sneers at my Pokémon, who was taken aback by the sudden verbal outburst. She growled herself, and something seemed to click somewhere inside of her.

"_Oh, no! The enemy uzzzed her Torment attack! Sassafras can't use Dragon Rage again until she uses a different move!_" Rotom panicked.

I let out a low growl of frustration myself; if not for that sabotage, we'd have been able to win the battle with just one more Dragon Rage. But my Salandit did have other moves at her disposal, and if she could land one and take one more hit, she would be home free.

{**Try your Ember Attack! It might not me much, but it's something!**}

The enemy retaliated by firing up one more flame attack. Sassafras predicted this move, and got out of the way of the initial impact of the missile...only to be struck by the bursts that came out of it as it hit the ground, tumbling off to the side. She struggled to stand again, but, her anger seething, actually managed to push herself onto her two back legs, standing up much like I did, and she sent a furious series of consecutive attacks at the enemy Salazzle, who tried to weave around the Ember attacks. However, the damage she'd already taken from the earlier Dragon Rage was beginning to catch up to her, and after a vain attempt to slide around the assault, she was finally struck, and that was when she fell to the podium floor. And now that she was down, my Salandit saw her chance to nab victory.

She fired and landed one shot. Two. Three. Four. And with each hit she landed, she stepped even closer, now running on her hind legs.

And then, finally, she drew her head back, firing up one more Dragon Rage attack, and sending it careening right into the Salazzle's face, sending up a cloud of dust from the dry, volcanic ground surrounding the battle stage.

When the dust cloud dissipated, it revealed Salandit standing there on her hind legs, the Salandit lying before her, completely unconscious.

The Totem Pokémon had been defeated.

...We won.

_Sassafras_ won.

To announce her victory to the entire park, she rose her head one more time, and let out a piercing, trilling shriek, letting it echo across the badlands.

"_Srrrraaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!_"

Then, finally having exhausted herself, she let herself fall to all fours again, huffing and puffing.

"...Whoa..." Kiawe marveled. "...That was amazing...! Your Salandit, a _prevolve_, defeated the Totem Pokémon with such ease! Astounding..."

{_**I'm surprised myself,**_} I admitted, stepping further out onto the podium to fetch my Pokémon. She was lying there, out of breath, but with a faint smile across her snout.

{**_Three battles, Sassafras,_**} I reminded her. {**_You did just that, and you know what happens now._**}

"_Sala...Mala...sada...?_"

Wow...I didn't typically understand Pokémon speech, but I definitely got that part.

{_**That's right. We go to the Malasada Shop...Great job out there. I'm proud.**_}

"_...Srrr...?_"

A dazed look appeared in her eyes, and she looked away. Maybe the fatigue was beginning to get to her head.

{**_Alright, you need a good long break...Return._**}

I brought her back to her Poké Ball, then turned to face Captain Kiawe again.

"As reward for completing the trial, you also get this,"

He tossed something to me, and I caught it in my scaly hands, trying to be careful with my claws on the small object. I unfurled my fingers to reveal a small device, not even as big as my own hand, and there was the image of a Pokémon just above the green button. The Pokémon in the picture was covered with orange scales, its broad blue wings stretching out on either side of it, and there was a flame blazing at the tip of its tail.

{**_...What does this do?_**}

"That would be a ride pager, friend," he explained. "I don't suppose you own one already? I hear that your trial at Brooklet Hill requires you to borrow Lana's Lapras."

{**_I don't own one...I don't really see the need, except for crossing water._**}

"Well, this ride pager can be used to summon a ride Pokémon; Charizard. Here in Alola, we use specially trained ride Pokémon transported from Paniola Ranch to get from place to place whenever the need arises. This Charizard can be summoned with the press of a button, and will fly you anywhere you are allowed to enter, depending on how far along you are in the Island Challenge. Some places might be blocked off from you still...I recommend you only use Charizard to fly you to places you've been before."

{**_That's...amazing! Thank you, Captain!_**}

Rotom gave his own thanks, and even added in some positive reviews of his dancing Marowak.

"Impressed, are you? Well...You don't get this good overnight. Just as you don't become a Pokémon Master overnight. It all takes time...But in time, like myself, you will grow into a fine Trainer. Now...You best be going. A lot of wild Pokémon are going to be coming out now that night is upon us, and you don't want to overexert your team as you go back down the slope of the volcano."

{**_You're right..._**} I agreed. {**_What if...Hey...Would this be a good time to use the ride Charizard?_**}

"As good a time as ever, Trainer Echo," he answered. "Go on ahead and give it a try."

I nodded, then pushed the green button on the ride pager.

Instantly, something shot out of the small screen on the pager, almost like what a Poké Ball did when it released a Pokémon. And then, the red energy stabilized, collecting on the ground before me. The creature that formed there towered tall, stretching out its wings and emitting a loud roar of a greeting.

"**_Raaauuuuwwwrrrgh!_**"

It had a passenger's seat strapped onto its back, and it took a moment to look over me, suddenly skeptical.

"Trust me," Kiawe said to it. "She is a Pokémon Trainer."

The draconic creature shrugged, then lowered its form to let me climb into the flat saddle it had on its back. I got into the 'lying down' position on the seat, then held onto my hat with one hand and the center of the handlebar reins with the other, Rotom carefully setting himself into the small space between me and the bar. I couldn't help but smile a bit; this Charizard would likely save me some walking in the long run.

{**_Alright, Charizard. _****_Take us to Royal Avenue! We have a Malasada Shop to visit!_**}

The creature nodded, then spread its immense, blue-membraned wings and took to the skies with me boarding it.

It didn't take long for me to realize just how far off the ground we were, and I looked down to find that Wela Volcano Park was far below us. If somehow, I fell off...

{**_Uh...Charizard!?_**} I chattered, trying not to panic. {**_Maybe fly a little lower!? I've never done this before...!_**}

"_Rauuurgh._"

It nodded in understanding, then proceeded to stoop its wing downwards, and I saw the earth get closer...a bit too quickly for me. I suppressed a scream, almost certain that we would crash-land somehow. How was Rotom able to stay so calm!?

"_Afraid o' heightzzz, Echo, bucko?_"

{**_Don't rub it in..._**}

I resorted to squeezing my eyes shut, blind to any potential 'beautiful view' that I might be missing, and just held tighter onto the handlebars. Rotom made the smart decision to grab my hat as I let go of it to focus more on my grip of the former.

"_Hey, no shame in bein' uneasy! This is just your first time flying! Who knows? You might get used to it over time! Kzzt!_"

{_**I don't know if there's going to BE a next time, Rotom! Augh, I think I'm gonna be sick...**_}

"_Uh-oh. Ah, don't do the technicolor yawn on me! Just hang tight! We're almost there!_"

I felt the ride Pokémon begin to descent, and it didn't take long for its flight to slow, and when I finally mustered the courage to open my eyes again, it was stretching its legs out just feet away from the paved road below us, and it flapped its wings to steady the landing. Once it had its feet planted on the ground again, a huge rush of relief went over me. I pushed off the Charizard and staggered as I stepped onto the ground again, stumbling bit as my body began catching up to my mind.

{_**...Thank you for that, Charizard,**_} I chittered, leaning against the side of the Malasada Shop to keep from falling, my heartrate still all over the place.

The creature nodded, then, in a flash, was returned into the ride pager. I finally let myself slide down onto the ground.

"_You okay there, bud?_"

{**_I will be,_**} I assured him, my voice still a bit raspy. {**_Hey...At least I don't have to fly anywhere else._**}


	16. Chapter 14: Strong Bonds

Considering that it was the Malasada Shop, I should have expected to see Hau sitting at one of the tables.

"Hey, yo, Echo! How'd the trial turn out!?"

{**_It went well; I brought Sassafras here for a victory Malasada._**}

I'd let her outside her Poké Ball before we went in, and she stood here beside me, silent, and not making any eye contact with anyone.

"'Sassafras,' huh? Cool nickname!"

{_**I thought it reflected her personality pretty well...At the time at least. She's acting a little different now.**_}

I thought that she was so quiet and reserved all of a sudden because she was tired from the battles we had earlier, but when I bent down and looked just a little closer, I saw a bit more than just fatigue. She seemed...bothered by something.

{**_What's on your mind?_**}

"_Crrr..._"

She refrained from looking me in the eye, and suddenly found the floor very interesting.

{**_Come on, Sassafras. A malasada will do you some good._**}

I placed an order for three Malasadas; two dry and one sour, and I sat at Hau's table, closer to the entrance. My Salandit was still outside of her ball, and curled up in the seat beside me, a thoughtful look in her normally peering, mischievous eyes.

{_**What'd you do while we were in the volcano park?**_}

"I tried out the Battle Royal Dome, and OH, BOY, is it intense! Brionne and I just BARELY won after THREE fights! That Gladion guy showed up there again to train his weird Null Pokémon, or whatever it is...I swear, it's like someone just took a bunch o' different Pokémon pieces and stuck 'em all together to make that thing. It ain't right, I swear. At least he had the mind to come congratulate us when everything was said and done. He said somethin' like, 'So, finally taking this stuff seriously, huh? Keep it up and maybe you'll finally win some more.' Or...something like that...So, the trial went well, you said?"

{_**Kiawe's team of Marowak can really bust a move. So can the Totem Salazzle, apparently. But Grace and Sassafras showed everyone who was boss by the end of it all, right, girl?**_}

"_Srrr, lan..._"

She looked up and nodded, still seeming a bit reclusive.

{_**What's the matter, Sassafras?**_} I asked her again. I was starting to get concerned. {**_Do you feel okay?_**}

She nodded, then sat up, but still refused to say anything else. I tapped a claw against my chin. What to do about this...

I would have kept thinking if the waiter hadn't arrived with my order just seconds later.

"Three Malasadas! Two dry and one sour!"

{_**Thanks for that.**_} I chittered with a grateful nod.

I released the rest of my Pokémon, then divided the three Malasadas among me and the pack. I held up the two remaining pieces to Sassafras once the rest had been divvied up.

{_**Which flavor do you want? Dry or sour?**_}

She answered by taking hold of the dry piece in her jaws...surprisingly gently, and she held it in her slippery hands as she ate it. Grace munched on a piece of dry Malasada, and the two avian Pokémon I had worked on two of the sour pieces. Once he was finished, Red gave a bit of a critique.

"_Haw, haw, lucha._"

"What'd he say, Rotom?" Hau inquired.

"_He said that it wazzz alright...But it didn't have enough of a 'kick' to it. Guess he'zzz the kind that prefers spicy stuff!_"

{**_Spicy, huh? Wonder if Anyone makes spicy malasadas...Sassafras, what do you think?_**}

A smile had actually appeared on her face, and she popped what was left of her victory snack into her open jaws.

{**_In a better mood now?_**}

She nodded.

{**_Would you care to tell me what was wrong earlier?_**}

That was when her smile faltered, and she eyes Hau before trilling something to Rotom.

"_What's that? Oh...Uh, Hau! She sayzzz that she wants to have a, uh...private conversation with us. Apparently, that doesn't include you. Sorry, pal._"

"Izzat so, huh? Well, I'll just go hang outside, I guess. I already ate. Mind meetin' me out there when you're done, peeps?"

"_Sure thing! I don't think this'll take long! Bzzt!_"

He nodded at us one more time before leaving the shop, and that was when Sassafras began turned to Rotom. She chittered something to him, and then the PokéDex turned to face me.

"_She says that she hazzz sort of a confession to make. She just wants you to promise that you won't laugh, becauzze she thinks it's stupid._"

{_**I'm not gonna laugh, Sassafras. What's the problem?**_}

She explained the situation to Rotom so that he would be able to translate it to me.

"_That so, huh?...Really?...So, what'd you do about it?...Huh...No, no, she wouldn't do that, I know her well enough that I know she wouldn't...Well, look at Grace. She izzn't like that, and she loves her to bitzzz!...I am serious, and don't call me Shirley._"

{**_What'd she say?_**}

She gave Rotom a nod, and he told me everything.

"_Well...She sayzz that she isn't really...the way you think she is._"

{_**How so?**_}

"_You see...She tellzzz me that she actually isn't the sassy, quippy type that she made herself out to be. She was just doin' it to impress._"

{_**Is that true?**_}

Sassafras turned her head away, but I could still make out the light nod she gave me.

{_**Why, though? Why would you do that?**_}

"_She said it was becauzzze that's what all of the OTHER female Salandit are like. They get pretty competitive with each other over how many males they can win over...But she didn't like that. She doezzzn't know why, but she's different from all the other femalezzz. And they put her down for it and made her an outcast._}

{**_That's horrible..._**} I chittered to her.

"_She spent most of her time battling against other Pokémon; she thought that if she could hone her battle skillzzz, she would at least know she was good at something. The male Salandit didn't pick on her, though; in fact, she would help them whenever she got the chance, and hoped that someday a Trainer might catch her and take her someplace better...That wazzz when she found us. But even though she was excited to see if she could get caught, she wazzz also worried that you might...not want to train her, since she thought her more modest nature would make her look weak. So she put on a façade, making like she didn't want to listen to you. But she wasn't sure if she should keep it up because she thinkzzz that...well..._"

{**_What does she think?_**}

"_She thinkzzz you might be the kind of trainer who'd be okay with that...But she had to know for sure._"

The Salandit trilled something to me.

{**_What'd she say now?_**}

"_She wantzzz your honest opinion on all this._"

Now she mustered the will to look me in the eye, a new glint of shame in her gaze. I shook my head in pity for the creature.

{_**Sassafras,**_} I gurgled. {**_You didn't have to put on an act to get me to train you. I caught you because I saw your potential, not because you had an attitude. And I still see that potential in you. It's not just about toughness; it's about wanting to be a part of the team. Look at Grace; she might be on the softer side, but did that stop me from training her? No. And it won't stop me from training you. Besides, someday, you're both going to evolve, and get even stronger! It doesn't matter if you're sassy or mild or anything. What matters is that you want to fight for the team._**}

A smile had slowly begun inching its way across her face as I spoke, and by now it was nearly brimming from ear to ear.

{**_...Come to think of it, did you want a name change? I think I see why you were so against me calling you 'Sassafras' now._**}

She shook her head, then chattered something else.

"_Actually, she sayzzz she thinks she could use it to her advantage! To make her seem more intimidating towardzzz her opponents! Kzzrt!_"

{_**You sure?**_}

She nodded.

{**_Alright, then...Now that the fire trial is all finished up with, would you like to maybe train some? We could head down to Paniola Ranch and get everyone ready for the next trial. Besides, the sun's gone down all the way; maybe we'll see some nocturnal Pokémon._**}

The Pokémon responded by grabbing hold of my leg, climbing it and going up towards my head in a spiral motion and wedging herself underneath my hat, pushing it up off the top of my head and above herself.

{**_I'm guessing you like that idea?_**}

"_Srrrip!_"

I returned my other Pokémon and left the shop. Just as he said he'd be, Hau was waiting for us outside.

"How'd it go in there?"

{_**It went well. I was about to head back into Paniola Ranch from here to train some more before I head in. Wanna tag along?**_}

"Oh, heck yeah! This is gonna be awesome!"

"Uh...Hey guys?"

We turned to our left, and were met with Lillie and the Professor approaching.

"How are the trials goin, fellas?" the latter inquired. "And...Is that a Salandit on your head, Echo?"

{**_Yep. Sure is._**}

"Wow...Nice catch! A Salazzle will definitely do you some good in the future, yeah!"

"It's been pretty smooth sailing so far," Hau answered him. "Echo and I were just about to head back up to Paniola Ranch to train some more. I'm takin' on the Fire Trial tomorrow, so I wanted to squeeze in a little extra work before hittin' the hay somewhere."

"Wow...That's wonderful, Hau," Lillie smiled.

"Heh heh...Yeah, it's somethin' to write home about, I guess."

It was odd, but I could have sworn Hau's face developed a bit of a red tinge, just for a moment.

{**_So, did you find what you were looking for in town?_**} I asked her.

"Ah, no. Didn't find what I was looking for. But that's okay. Maybe I'm just not looking hard enough."

"_Pew!_"

I looked down to see the little puff of a cloud that was Nebby flitting around behind its carrier.

"Oh, Nebby! You know I don't want you coming out when we're in public!"

I took a quick look around; since it was dark, not many people were out and about to notice the strange Pokémon.

{**_I think you're in the clear,_**} I assured her.

"_Srrr?_"

Sassafras crawled down my snout, and I lowered it to the ground so she could get off and inspect the odd, gaseous creature. She tilted her head curiously, and Nebby slowly floated closer, a cautious glint in its eyes. The Salandit reached a slippery finger out to touch it; once it made contact, Nebby flinched and flitted back behind its owner, eyes squeezed shut. Sassafras trilled something to it, trying to convince it that she was a friend, but Nebby wasn't having it.

"_Pew, pew!_" it squeaked at her; a pathetic attempt at a growl.

My Salandit finally shook her head in defeat and came back to me.

{_**You tried,**_} I encouraged her. {_**Hey, Professor. Do you want to watch me and Hau train some?**_}

"Sure, I'll stick around for a bit! Maybe give you guys some tips, if I see the need!"

"Oh. Um..."

{_**Something the matter, Lillie?**_}

"Well, I...don't really like seeing Pokémon get hurt..."

"Hey, you don't have to watch if you don't wanna," The Professor told her. "But you could at least tag along, yeah? Hey, you might even lean a couple things!"

"Well...Okay. M-maybe I'll watch some."

"Ey, that's the spirit! Let's get a move on, alright, kids?"

"Last one there's a rotten egg!"

Hau gave himself a headstart. I returned Sassafras to her ball and scraped a foot against the ground, then turned to Lillie and the Professor.

{_**...See you two there**_.}

And with a push of my leg, I was off like the wind.

* * *

_..._

* * *

"Whoa! This guy's tough!"

{_**Be glad the ones in the paddock have some discipline under their belts!**_}

Hau and I had launched a team attack on a Tauros that'd charged us from the bushes. It was immensely aggressive and incredibly strong for what it was; Grace had lowered its guard and whittled it down a tad, but she'd taken a beating, and was on the verge of fainting when I returned her, and Sassafras was just barely hanging on, spewing an assault of poisonous flames at the opponent. Hau's Eevee had also withstood some battle damage, but their smaller sizes compared to the Wild Bull Pokémon gave them the advantage of both speed and precision, and with every Tackle and Ember, the Tauros grew weaker and weaker.

Finally, Sassafras landed a Dragon Rage right to its face, and with a bellow of pain, the enemy fell to its side in a faint.

"Al-RIGHT! We did it!"

I let out a screech of victory...And my Salandit emitted a noise surprisingly similar before returning to me.

"Hey, Eevee, you're gettin' pretty good at this!"

"_Vui..._"

It shrugged and grinned. It seemed like it was finally warming up to Hau.

"And your Salandit...Man, she's good! I fear the day you send her out AGAINST me! And in her EVOLVED form!"

She beamed at this remark, genuinely pleased.

"Nice work out there, you two!" The Professor complimented. He and Lillie had watched everything unfold from the sidelines. "I like your coordination. Just remember to be careful around stronger Pokémon like that, okay? Don't wanna bite off more than you can chew."

"Yeah. Maybe stick to fighting some of the, um...weaker Pokémon until your teams are up for it," Lillie nodded.

"See, Lillie? What'd I tell ya? You did learn somethin'!"

"Uh...Yeah? Yeah...I guess so."

"Hey! Look!"

Hau pointed to the other side of the patch of tall grass; a familiar-looking brown-furred tail was swishing just within sight.

"Another Eevee..." he whispered. "Wanna teach it how strong TRAINED Eevees are?"

{_**Grace might like that challenge,**_} I grinned. {_**...But I'll have to heal her first.**_}

I still had the Hyper Potion I found on Wela Volcano Park in my pack, called my Eevee back out and healed her. As the medicine was made to heal up to 200 HP, it definitely did it's job; her scuffs and bruises vanished in an instant, and she was back to her old self.

{_**Now...**_} I instructed her. {_**Would you care to do the honors of showing the wild Eevees here who's boss?**_}

"_Vui, eievui,_" she nodded.

{_**Alright...**_} I gurgled quietly. {_**Sneak up behind it as best you can, then ram it with tackle.**_}

Grace nodded once more, then slowly and carefully began to make her way towards the foreseen opponent, just barely making any rustling noises in the grass herself. And then, just when she was almost upon it, the other Eevee's head jolted up, ears perked, and it turned to make sure nothing was behind it...

Only to be pounced upon!

"Now we got it!" Hau exclaimed, sending out his own Eevee. "Alright, Eevee! Use your Growl Attack!"

His own Pokémon ran out into the field snarling away.

We have this one in the bag, I thought. Both of our trained Eevees going up against a wild one? It's impossible to lose!

"Nice! Now, join in her Tackle!"

"_EIEVUI!_"

It wasn't either of our Pokémon that sounded off, rather the feral one. It's plea for help echoed out across the field, and it was actually loud and sudden enough to make us all freeze where we stood, even our fighters.

A sudden feeling of dread overcame me. I felt as though we were being watched. But by what, exactly, I didn't know...

Until it leapt out of the tall grass not far behind the group of Eevees.

There was a blur of yellow flashing in the darkness as it darted into the two-on-one wrestle match, and before I could comprehend what was happening, our trained Eevees had been forcefully separated from the wild one, and were now under an assault of swift attacks coming from...whatever was on the field. It moved so fast, and I could only make out flashes of yellow and red. I was in a panic; neither me nor Hau knew WHAT was going on!

But even in my fearful daze, I managed to call out one more attack.

{**_Grace! Counter the next hit with a Tackle of your own!_**}

"_Vui...!_"

The blur finished off Hau's Eevee, and went right back towards Grace to seal its victory. But before it could ram into her side, she'd fired up her Tackle, and used what strength she had left to slam into the enemy Pokémon, head clashing against head, to stun it, then another attack to its abdomen to knock it off its feet. The creature let out a surprised grunt, then fell to its side.

"_Eievui, vui, eievui!_"

While Grace was busy scolding the mystery Pokémon,(an adorably valiant scene, to say the least) I got a better look at it.

{**_...Whoa._**}

What WAS this creature? It had a sleek, black pelt, the moonlight above giving it a gorgeous blue tint. And the yellow rings on its ears, head, sides and tail had a lustrous glow about them, giving them almost as eerie a beauty as its piercing, intelligent red eyes.

"_Bre..._"

It huffed a bit as it stood to its feet; the wind had been knocked out of it for a moment, but it was still easily capable of putting up a fight.

But instead of finishing what it'd started, the Pokemon lowered its head and picked up the wild Eevee by the nape of the neck in its jaws, then gave me and Hau a strange glare of warning before retreating back into the brush.

I was absolutely awestruck. And frankly, so was everyone else.

"_Vui...?_" Hau's Eevee groaned, regaining consciousness from its faint.

"_Vui, Eievui..._" mine whispered, eyes wide with wonder.

"Wow..." the Professor marveled. "That was incredible, seein' a wild one of those."

"Wh...What was that...?" Lillie stammered, thoroughly spooked by the whole ordeal.

"_I got a scan while it was down! Allow me! Zzrt!_"

Rotom's circuits buzzed a bit as he floated up and displayed an image of the Pokémon on his screen.

"_Umbreon: the Moonlight Pokémon!_

"_One of Eevee's many evolved formzzz! Its black fur lets it blend into the darkness. During the night, when it hunts, it bidezzz its time, and then once its prey appears, it pounces onto it from the darkness, rings glowing brightly! Yikes!_"

{_**Grace...**_} I rasped. {_**That's...You could evolve into THAT?**_}

"_Vui..._"

She glanced off to the side for a moment, seeming uneasy. But after a few moments, she nodded, flashing a smile.

"_Vui, vui! Eie, eievui?_"

{_**What'd she say, Rotom?**_}

"_Ooh! She wants to know if that'zzz what you'd like her to evolve into!_"

Grace was smiling up at me. I could tell by the way her eyes glimmered that she wanted nothing more than to make me proud.

{**_I very well may,_**} I nodded. {**_...Do you have anymore information on the species, Rotom? Type? Attacks?_**}

"_Sure thing! Umbreon is a pure Dark-Type! It'zzz weak to Bug, Fighting and Fairy-Type moves, is rezzzistant to both its own type and the Ghost-Type, and izzz completely immune to Psychic-Type Attacks! It looked like the one we just battled was using the move Pursuit; a special move that can land even when a Pokémon izzz returning to its Poké Ball, and even inflicting more damage in that circumstance! It can also learn other Dark-Type movezzz, like Feint Attack, Assurance and Dark Pulse! Bzzt!_"

{**_Wow..._**}

I looked back down at Grace; I could almost see the shining black coat and gold rings on her already.

{**_...How does an Eevee evolve into an Umbreon?_**}

"Well, first off, it has to evolve during the night! And it has to share a strong bond with itzzz Trainer!"

{_**That doesn't sound too hard...Wow. Imagine being one of THOSE, Grace. You'd strike fear into the hearts of any opponent!**_}

"_Eievui..._"

She nodded, but with an indifferent shrug.

{_**You...DO want to evolve into an Umbreon, right? If not, would you rather be something diff-**_}

"_Vui, vui eievui!_"

She shook her head and plastered another smile across her muzzle.

"No, no, she sayzzz that's what she wantzzz to be! She just says she was indifferent to the whole ordeal until you mentioned it! She wantzzz to be whatever you want her to be!"

{_**Alright, then...Professor,**_} I continued, Rotom doing his usual job. {**_Does it take any of my other Pokémon certain things in order to evolve?_**}

"Don't think so," he answered. "You just have to get 'em strong enough. Your Salandit's female, right?"

I nodded.

"She should evolve into a Salazzle once she gets to level 33, and your Dartrix at level 34."

{_**Dartrix is going to evolve again?**_}

"Yep! Some Pokémon have three evolution stages, ya know?"

{_**What's he going to evolve into?**_}

"You sure you don't want it to be a surprise?"

"**_Hrmmm..._**" I thought. {**_...I guess that would be more exciting. How much longer until they get to those levels, Rotom?_**}

"_I'll have to take another scan and see! Hey, how 'bout we scan everyone on the team, just to see what we've got goin' for us?_"

I released all of my Pokémon for the scan; Sassafras had a notable amount of scratch marks disrupting her slick scale pattern, and was breathing a bit more heavily than usual.

{**_How about we call it a night?_**} I suggested as Rotom scanned them over. {_**We fought plenty; brought down six Mudbrays, three Mareep and a Tauros.**_}

"Yeah," Hau nodded. "Pikachu and Eevee withstood a lot, too...Brionne's the only one holdin' up much."

"It's a good thing you didn't use your Salandit against any of those Ground-Types," the Professor commented. "She'd have been obliterated!"

"_Scan complete!_" Rotom announced. "_Dartrix is level twenty-nine; not too much longer until the day comezzz! Red's a bit lower at level twenty-eight, Grace is level seventeen, and Sassafras izzz level twenty-six!_"

{_**Not bad. But I might want to go through a bit more training with you, Grace, before we take on the next trial. You know, to get you up there with the others.**_}

"_Vui__,_" she grinned.

"_Hey! Training together might even strengthen your bond! That'll make it eazzzier to evolve her into that Umbreon you want! Zzrt!_"

"Hey, Rotom's right!" the Professor agreed. "And level doesn't matter when it comes to Eevee's evolutions, so if the circumstances are right, she could evolve at any time!"

{_**Wow...**_} I rasped again. Never during my life in the Paddock with my siblings would I ever expected life to be like this; freedom, friends, my own pack.

And the fact that I'd grown to appreciate all of it was yet another thing to be grateful for.

...But...Come to think of it...

HOW had I come to be able to appreciate and comprehend all of this?

Back when I was living with my sisters, we'd all been so...primitive, compared to the state of mind I had now. What happened? I couldn't remember much after running away from the scene of the fight with the strange, white monster; it was a blur. A lot of things about my past were still a blur, and only came back to me in bits and pieces, slowly...I wondered about all of this, and what it all meant.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Hau's voice.

"So, Lillie," he said to my other friend. "I, uh...hope we weren't too rough on the wild Pokémon. What say you?"

"I guess it wasn't...quite as bad as I thought it would be," she told him. "I was really more worried about your own Pokémon...That Tauros seemed especially dangerous."

"Well, it wasn't anything we couldn't handle. Right, Echo?"

I gave him a bark of agreement.

"Yep...Say, if you ever change your mind about not wanting to be a Trainer, you can always ask me if you need any tips, or anything like that, ya know?"

"Well...Alright. I'm not sure yet, though."

"Think it's about time we pack it in, fellas," the Professor acknowledged, looking to the starry skies. "It's gettin' kinda late."

"See you guys tomorrow!" Hau waved.

"See ya later, Feraligatrs!"

"Bye, you two."

They both departed for the town. Hau and I got ourselves out of the tall grass and made our way to the Pokemon Center on Royal Avenue.

{_**Your plans for tomorrow, Hau?**_} I asked him.

"I was thinkin' about takin' the ferry back to Melemele to explore some of the caves during the heat of the day. Maybe I'll find a new teammate, ya know? Hey, good luck with the next trial; Sassafras should be able to breeze right through it! It's a Grass trial!"

{_**Oh, is it? That's good news,**_} I grinned. {Hey...I wonder why Lillie doesn't want to be a Trainer?}

"Why? Do you think that's, like, odd?"

{_**Well...Maybe a bit. I mean, Nebby isn't technically HER Pokémon; she's just looking after it. Wouldn't you think she would at least like to own one or two, even if she doesn't use them for battle?**_}

"Hey. Don't go criticizing people for their own decisions, huh?" he defended, pouting his lips. "It's HER life, ya know?"

{**_I'm not criticizing,_**} I corrected lightly; I didn't want to make him upset. {_**Come to think of it...What even IS Nebby? It doesn't really look like anything you'd find around here, does it?**_}

Hau huffed out a sigh; I got him there.

"You do have a point about that. Her whole situation is kinda weird; she shows up on the beach one day in front of Professor Kukui's research lab, he and Professor Burnet take her in, and she doesn't want people to see the Pokémon she has with her...I've asked her 'bout it before, but she's, uh...hard to get to, you know what I mean?"

{_**I feel like there's more to her than meets the eye,**_} I agreed. {_**...Also, who's Professor Burnet?**_}

"Oh. She's the Professor's significant other. Works in dimensional research labs, or something like that. You'd probably like her."

{_**Ah...Maybe I'll meet her one of these days.**_}

"Go for it, pal. But as I was saying, Lillie's not exactly quick to trust people. Come on, would I ever stab _you_ in the back?"

I shook my head 'no.'

"'Course not. So I DEFINITELY wouldn't do that to her. What's she hiding that she's so afraid of, huh?"

I shrugged.

"Well, if there's one thing I wanna do, it's find out. Why? So I can help her as best I can!"

I saw the red tinge return to his face.

"I mean, what are friends for, am I right?"

I nodded again in agreement.

"_Friendzzz, huh? M-hmm..._"

I saw Rotom give him a cynical look.

"Yep. That's right, Rotom."

"_You SUUURE that's all?_"

"D'oh, why don'tcha make like Nebby and get in the bag?"

The PokéDex let out a cheeky giggle.

"Whatever, dude...But anyway, here we are."

At this point, we were just outside the doors to the Pokémon Center.

"Before we split, how 'bout we have ourselves a victory treat at the café?"

{_**Sounds like a plan.**_}

"Cool. Hey, and if you want, we can split the bill this time around, okay? At least...if you're able to."

I nodded eagerly; for the first time, Hau didn't have to take it upon himself to order my drink. After giving our Pokémon a quick heal at the front desk, we headed on over and placed our orders at the café. We both got the same thing; a Tapu Cocoa.

{**_I don't know HOW these are so good,_**} I crawed.

"Hey. You can never go wrong with hot chocolate. Besides, it's perfect for helpin' you wind down at the end of the day, huh, bud?"

{**_It definitely has that relaxing effect, doesn't it?_**}

"'Scuse me, miss," the man running the café addressed me. "You're the one everyone's been talkin' about lately, right?"

I nodded.

"I'd like to offer you something for your Pokémon on the house. Didn't know if you got the chance to get any yet."

He pulled something out from beneath the counter and handed it to me. It turned out to be a bag of...somethings. I took one out and examined it; the object was heart-shaped, and just barely small enough for me to wrap my long fingers around it all the way. I sniffed it; there was a bit of a sweet-tart smell about it, but it wasn't very strong. I was a bit skeptical about them.

"_Oooooh...!_"

Rotom seemed pretty fond of them, though. The human could tell I was confused, so he offered an explanation.

"Those are Poké Beans. Feed 'em to your Pokémon, and they might get more friendly towards ya."

"_**Ahh...**_" I nodded. {_**Erm...Thank you for that.**_}

"_Yeah! Thankzzz for that!_"

"Not a problem. If you run out, I think there's a place that grows 'em off the east coast of Akala Island here."

{_**Interesting...**_} I gurgled, standing up off the bar stool and putting the bean back in its bag.

"What about you, young mister? Got an extra one here."

"Oh, heck yes! Brionne's gonna LOVE these...Thanks a million!"

So we both got a stash of Poké Beans for our Pokémon. I was particularly pleased by this, especially considering what he said would happen to my Pokémon when they ate them. It'd make Grace's evolution into an Umbreon all the more easy.

"Alright, we're gonna head on out," Hau told him. "Catch you later!"

"See you two again soon!"

We headed out of the Pokémon Center. I took in a breath of fresh air and looked up; the starry skies were blotted in a couple of places by scattered clouds, casting an indigo shadow in the light of the moon.

"I'll probably head over to Paniola Town to find a place to hit the hay," Hau told me. "You stickin' around here?"

{_**I think so. Might do the same thing I did today; take on the first trial in the morning and move on from there. I might be busy, so we might not meet back up until later in the day. Good luck on Melemele Island tomorrow.**_}

"Same. And good luck with the trials!" he bid me as we parted ways. "See ya!"

He turned to head back to town, and I bedded down next to the Pokémon Center.

{_**Crazy day, huh, Rotom?**_}

"_Yeah...Tell me about it. Two trials, two new Pokémon...I can see us reaching new heightzzz in the future, if things keep up! Kzzrt!_"

{_**So, after the Grass Trial, what comes next?**_}

"_I think we take on the Grand Trial next! And then we'll have completed all the Akala trialzzz!_"

{**_Wow...We really ARE reaching new heights, aren't we?_**}

"_Betcha never thought you'd be with all of us until now, huh?_"

{_**Yeah...That's just it, Rotom. I'm not SURE how I got here, or how I started thinking the way I did. I...can't really remember anything about coming here.**_}

"_You said earlier that the last thing you remember before showing up outside the lab wazzz running away from the fight with that...monster?_"

{_**That's right.**_}

"_Um...What exactly did the monster look like?_"

I felt a cold shiver run down my spine, all the way to the tip of my tail.

"_Uh, I mean, you don't have to explain if you don't-_"

{_**It was big, for one. As big as a building. It...There was something strange about it. Its scales were mottled green and brown when it came out of the woods to confront us, but then...They turned white. And its eyes...**_}

I shuddered again at the comparison my mind came up with.

{_**They were like an Umbreon's eyes. Bright red and incredibly intelligent...But there was something weird about the way it stared at all of us. Something I've never seen in any Pokémon. It was almost like it was...insane.**_}

"_Doezzzn't sound like any Pokémon in my database. Was it on all fours, or did it walk on two?_"

I sighed deeply.

{_**...Imagine something...dare I say it...Like me, almost. Teeth, tail, claws...It didn't have a bigger claw on the inside, though. And I think it had these...thin quills coming out of the back of its head, and its arms.**_}

"_Soundzzz pretty scary._"

{**_You have no idea. And when it figured out it could speak our dialect, it...It made us..._**}

"_What'd it do?_"

{_**I can't even say it.**_}

By now I could feel tears burning in the corners of my eyes, and I turned away from him, emitting another, shakier sigh.

{**_...Can we go to sleep now?_**}

"Sure thing, bucko. Sorry 'bout that, I-I didn't mean to make you upset."

{_**Don't worry about it, Rotom...Actually, it felt kinda good to explain some of that to somebody...Maybe one day, we'll know the full story of what happened.**_}

"Huh...Well, just remember, I'll be right here whenever ya need someone to talk to, alright?"

{_**Thanks, Rotom.**_}

I lowered my head, then brought Rotom in and snuggled him into the crook of my arm before curling my tail up around the two of us.

{**_...You know something?_**} I chittered. {_**Even if I never know how I came to be here, and do all of these things, I'm still going to enjoy it.**_}

"_That'zz the spirit, pal!_"

I stifled another yawn; any nearby Pokémon would have likely fled at the sight of my rows of pointed teeth.

"_Yeah, let'zzz call it a day. G'night, Echo._"

{_**Goodnight, Rotom.**_}

I lowered my head, and quietly chittered one more thing before drifting off.

{_**We've got a big day tomorrow...Sleep well, everyone.**_}


	17. Chapter 15: Trial in the Tropics

_The gates opened, and all of us ran out like mad. Freedom. Freedom to explore and to run around the outside! It was amazing!_

_We ran in the direction the scent came from; Alpha had held up a chunk of strange meat for us to pick up the scent of, and once we'd familiarized ourselves with it, we were able to catch the scent from far off. He wanted us to go after the creature. Hunt it down. Catch it. The idea of chasing after something outside of the Paddock, in the open, was thrilling by itself, and we'd all wanted to get out and do it for a long time._

_And now we were actually doing it._

_We swerved around each other as we ran in the direction of the smell, Beta staying in the lead, and me, Gamma and Delta weaving about behind her. We jumped rocks, pushed off of logs, hopped over tree roots, and the fresh smell of the lush forest was wonderful in our noses._

_It was even better than we thought it would be._

_I heard a noise come from behind; a strange, loud whirring noise. An odd contraption came wheeling into our pack from behind, and atop it sat..._

_Alpha?_

_{**Alpha!**} Beta chirped. {**He's come to run with us! Keep going!**}_

_Maybe he used the strange sputtering machine to keep up with us; his kind wasn't quite as fast on their feet as me and my sisters were._

_{**It's getting closer, Alpha,**} Delta snarled pugnaciously._

_{**We'll get it! And we'll take it down!**} I screeched._

_The scent became stronger; we were close now, and we slowed down._

_"They got somethin'!" Alpha called out. To who, though, I didn't know yet._

_With it being so near now, it was a bit more difficult to pinpoint the exact source of the smell. Alpha lagged behind some when he saw that we were right on the creature's tail. I looked behind me as I searched for the target to see that Alpha had hidden himself among the bushes and rocks, and had now been joined by others of his kind. They were all armed with weapons in one form or another, ready to help us take it down._

_Why would we need help, though? There were four of us, and we were plenty powerful on our own. The creature in question couldn't be..._

_...That...__Big..._

_The rustling came from the treetops, and from the leaves, a green head made itself visible. The head alone was almost as long as one of us._

_We all watched in awe and horror as the creature turned from green to white, and it stared down at us, silently acknowledging the presence of the humans, and possessing an eerie glimmer of intellect in its red eyes._

_It lowered its head and snarled menacingly._

_{**What are you?**} Beta chittered to it to see if it understood._

_{**Alpha.**}_

_The dialect it spoke in was garbled and deep, but we could still understand it._

_{**That's wrong,**} Beta corrected it. {**We already have an Alpha.**}_

_{**I am your new Alpha,**} it asserted. {**They are weak. Kill them.**}_

_Beta shook her head in disbelief, and I spoke out against it._

_{**I don't want to...**}_

_{**Then you are also weak. If you don't kill them, I'll kill you.**}_

_What kind of Alpha WAS this creature? No Alpha ever threatened to kill us. This was wrong. Something was very, very wrong._

_"Something's wrong..." Alpha-Beta whispered. I could just barely hear him from the distance. "They're communicating."_

_{**What's weak about them?**} Beta continued to challenge it. {**They can give us orders. And we are strong, so they must be, too.**}_

_{**They are not strong. Only their walls...They trapped us and pretended to control us. They're as bad as they are weak.**}_

_{**They can't be bad...**} Gamma chittered in disbelief. {**They're nice to us. At least most of the time.**}_

_{**You've fallen for their tricks,**} the monster snarled. {**And are all fools.**}_

_"I know why they wouldn't tell us what it was made of..." Alpha said._

_"Why?" Alpha-Beta questioned._

_{**Don't wait any longer. I am the strongest among all of you. Kill them all. NOW. Or ALL of you will DIE.**}_

_"...That thing's part raptor."_

_I heard Beta let out a shaky breath as we all turned to face the humans. She shook her head. We had no other choice._

_But before we could attack, a series of loud, booming noises rang out across the air. The humans' weapons fired at the white beast, and it roared in shock and agony as it was struck by the projectiles. A bigger one whizzed toward it, bursting into flames just beneath it and knocking it over into its side. It recovered quickly, though, and disappeared into the forest before it could be attacked anymore. All four of us remained hidden in the shrubbery, not sure about the situation._

_{**Beta...**} Delta gurgled. {**Is it gone? What do we do?**}_

_{**It could be watching us...It can change color to match the forest and hide,**} Beta acknowledged. {**We have to do what it says...Or it will do it itself. To all of us.**}_

_{**We can't attack it ourselves?**} I suggested._

_{**No. It's too big. It will kill us all.**}_

_"Watch your sixth!" Alphs called out as his human followers readied their weapons again. "Raptors got a new Alpha!"_

_Something about what he said buzzed in my head. 'Raptor.' The creature was 'part raptor.' What was a raptor?_

_I was so lost in thought, I barely heard Beta chuff in sorrow to herself._

_{**...Alpha...Owen...I'm sorry.**}_

_She called out the attack, and we all sprang out against the humans. The air was filled with the sounds of snarls, screams, and gunfire._

_I wandered around, somewhat aimlessly through the chaos. I wasn't so focused on the situation than I was what Alpha said. Raptors...He said the raptors had a new Alpha, and that the monster was part raptor, and could communicate with us. We had a new Alpha, in the horrible beast..._

_Were...WE the raptors?_

_Something else...a distant memory, from days long past, came back to me._

_"_I don't suppose you know what happened the last time we tried to keep Velociraptors contained? They were absolutely vicious; hunted and killed everything in sight, according to the people who visited the first park."

_The man in the lab coat, "Mr. Wu," who'd come to visit us all when we were still being raised in the nursery, had said it._

_{**Velociraptors...**} I gurgled._

_WE had been contained._

_WE were being vicious._

_WE were hunting and killing everything in sight right now._

_Me and my sisters never had a definitive name for our kind, so we never referred to ourselves as such..._

_Until now._

_We were Velociraptors. That was what our kind was called._

_And, in our own desperation, we'd just confirmed the humans' worst fears._

_The screams slowly faded into silence, and the world around me blurred and darkened into blackness, and disappeared._

* * *

_..._

* * *

My eye popped open, and I rose my head, suddenly very alert.

I turned my head around to scan my surroundings; I was back at Royal Avenue, curled up on the ground beside the Pokémon Center, just where I'd been last night. Rotom was still nestled into my arm, sound asleep. Understandable, though; it was barely morning. The sky above was just barely lit up by the first rays of the rising sun, and several stars still dotted the sky above. The east was beginning to show a bit of yellow and pink mixed in with the deep blue, but it had yet to become brighter and more colorful.

That gave me some time to think.

{_**Velociraptors...**_} I gurgled again, the dream I just had still clear in my head. I'd already pieced it together; that was my species name, just like Red was a Hawlucha, and Sassafras a Salandit, and Grace an Eevee.

..."Echo the Velociraptor." Or just "raptor" for short, as I'd remembered it being said. But what WAS a raptor, such as myself, and my sisters, in comparison to Pokémon? We were both separate classes of creatures, I knew that much. Pokémon could use strange moves, and be captured in small capsules, and they generated strange, powerful "auras." I'd gotten that part from the professor. Poké Balls had no effect on me, nor could I harness the same energy that a Pokémon did for myself, even if I had power over the Pokémon themselves. Were there others like me out there somewhere? Besides humans, or...whatever that creature was called that made itself our new Alpha? I didn't know...Would I ever know? Did it really matter?

Well, it did make ONE thing matter.

I quietly extracted my Trainer's Passport from my pack, being careful not to disturb my PokéDex, and read over my information.

"**Name: Echo**"  
"**Age: Unknown**"  
"**Species: Unknown**"  
"**Birthday: Unknown**"

I looked over the third line; "species." The pencil that the professor last used was tucked away in the spiraled spine of the booklet, and I tried to dig it out. He wasn't around to change it for me, so I decided to just do it myself. It was still fairly dark out, but my eyes were well adapted to such, so I grasped the writing tool in my hand and tried to write out the "v" that I knew the word started with.

...It looked more like a jagged curve than the sharp angle I was going for, and I frowned as I erased it, emitting a mildly annoyed chuff.

{**_I just want to at least be able to read it right..._**}

"_...Morning already?_"

Ah, darnit. I woke Rotom up by mistake.

{_**Sorry, Rotom. I was just trying to write something. You can go back to sleep for a bit longer.**_}

"_Huh...? Oh, don't worry 'bout me, bud. I should get up now anyway. Zzt, heh heh...What are you trying to write?_"

I was suddenly excited by his question. He needed to know, now that he was up.

{**_Oh! I have news! I remembered my species name!_**}

"_Oh, you did now...?_" he yawned.

It took him a few moments to register what I said, but when he did, that was when HE perked up.

"_Wait. Y-you did what? You remembered something else? Your speciezzz name!?_"

I nodded.

{_**I'm trying to write it down...How do you hold a pencil correctly?**_}

"_Oh! I've seen Professor Kukui do it a bunch of timezzz!_" he told me. "_All you gotta do is hold the pencil at an angle between your forefinger and thumb!_"

{_**Thumb?**_}

"_Yeah! That's...Uh..._"

Each of us were staring at my hand now. There were three fingers on each one, roughly the same length, save for the slightly longer middle one, and they all faced the same direction.

" _...Oh. You, uh...Don't have thumbs. Uh...Maybe try holding it between your inner and middle fingers? Here, I'll help!_"

He had to show me how to get the hold down, but it wasn't too long before I found myself getting more adjusted to the technique.

"_Okay! Now give it a go!_"

By now, the sky was becoming a bit brighter, and I started working to write down my species' name...Not perfect, but at least they actually looked like letters this time...How did I know how to read in the first place again? Oh, well...Maybe I got it the same time I got my sudden human awareness.

{**_I think that's how you spell it,_**} I remarked, satisfied with what the passport now said.

"**Name: Echo**"  
"**Age: Unknown**"  
"**Species: VelOCiraPtOr**"  
"**Birthday: Unknown**"

{_**It, uh...still isn't as neat as the professor's though...Maybe I could get him to rewrite it.**_}

"_You're a...'Velociraptor,' huh?_"

I nodded.

"_And so were your sisterzzz?_"

{_**That's right. We're called 'raptors' for short, I think...Have you ever heard of my kind before?**_}

"_Uh...Can't say I have. And the fact that you guyzzz aren't even Pokémon is even stranger. __Whatever happened to you, it must have been awful far from here._"

{_**I'm starting to get the feeling it's farther than we think,**_} I worried.

"_Hey, that'zzz a cool sounding name you got there, though! I bet any Pokémon would like to be called something like that!_"

{_**You think so?**_}

"_Sure, bucko! Bzzrt! Hey, the sun's coming up. My map sayzzz we can get to the next trial by heading north past the volcano park and going up onto Route 8! We shouldn't have much of a problem with the midday heat this time around, since the trial takezzz place in the Lush Jungle! Plenty of shade from the trees! Kzzt!_"

{_**Lush Jungle...? I like the sound of that. Should we start now?**_}

"_The sooner the better! I'll bet Sassafras izzz gonna have a field day out there with all the Grass-Types!_"

I pulled out all of my Poké Balls and called out my team. They all stood facing me in a neat line, and greeted me.

"_Krrroo._"

"_Lucha!_"

"_Vui?_"

"_Srrr..._"

{_**We're going to the next trial in Lush Jungle. Everyone will get a chance to battle, but for you, Sassafras, now is going to be your time to shine.**_}

She stood up on her hind legs again excitedly; she seemed to like doing that.

{_**But before we go, how about I show you what I got from the café last night?**_}

That was when I pulled out the Pokébeans. Instantly, everyone's eyes lit up.

"_Kroo!_"

"_Cha!_"

"_Eievui!_"

"_Salah!_"

{_**Let's see there are seven...Yep. One for each of you for now. I'll see if I can get more later.**_}

Each of them got a Pokébean. Dartrix and Red started pecking at theirs a bit slowly, perhaps to savor them, and Sassafras chowed down in a similar manner, only breaking off small bites and eating them. Grace, on the other hand, dug right into hers, and it was only a matter of seconds before it was completely gone.

"_Vui, eievui!_" she chirped, looking particularly thankful...and still particularly hungry. On the sly, I slipped her a second one, and her smile grew even bigger.

{**_That's all, though. You're the youngest, and still growing, so that's to help you catch up with the rest of the team. Don't tell anyone._**}

She nodded, then nuzzled her short snout against my own in thanks before chomping away. I counted what I had left; just two more beans.

{_**...I'm starting to wonder what these taste like myself.**_}

I took one of the beans in my hand and took a cautious bite out of one end.

...Pretty firm, so it was crunchy. It had an odd taste, though; mildly sweet with just a hint of tart fruitiness...but overall it just tasted like hard grass. It wasn't so sure I liked it. But if my Pokémon did, then more power to them.

"_So, what do you think?_" Rotom buzzed, sort of staring at the half-eaten bean in my hand, a hungry glint in his blue eyes.

{_**Not the best. The team can enjoy these...You want the last of them?**_}

"_Well, I mean...If that'zzz alright with you..._" he shrugged, pretending not to be as interested as he really was.

I chittered a laugh, then gave my PokéDex the last of the beans.

{**_Go on ahead._**}

"_Really!? I mean, ah...Thankzz for that, boss._"

He exited the machine in order to actually eat them properly.

{_**...Come to think of it,**_} I continued. {_**I haven't really had that much in the way of actual food over the past few days. When I was healing in the research lab, the professor fed me with chunks of meat...Was that from a...Pokémon of some sort?**_}

"_Roto, rotom. Kzzrt!_" he buzzed through a full mouth.

{_**Oh...right. You can't speak outside the Dex. I'll wait.**_}

I didn't have to wait long. Everyone on the team loved the beans so much they were gone before I even knew it. Rotom zipped back into the empty PokéDex that he'd left on the ground, repossessing it, then floated back up to face me, doing sort of a flip in midair.

{**_Rotom, you're full of beans._**}

_"In more wayzzz than one! Bzzt! Ha...Azzz for your question, that'd be a yes! Which species, though, I don't know...You're definitely a natural carnovire. Have you considered, uh... You know...hunting wild Pokémon for yourself?_"

{_**You mean...hunting them for food?**_}

"_Yep!_"

{_**And...Killing them?**_}

I grimaced at the thought. I didn't like that idea.

{_**I...don't know. I mean, I've considered it before, when I was just starting out, but...Pokémon are my friends. At least these ones are. And now that I'm so close to them, eating them...doesn't seem right.**_}

"_Hey, it'zzz fine! Pokémon eat other Pokémon all the time!_"

{_**They DO?**_}

I wasn't so sure I believed this at first.

"_You should see Talonflame in action! They swoop down and pick off Wingull and Pikapek to chow down on! And wild Salandit like Sassafras hunt down Bug-Typezzz to eat! It izzzn't savage! It's just feeding yourself! It's called the food chain!_"

{_**I still don't know, Rotom. Like...I know I used to hunt, but that was before I actually...knew everything that I do now. I don't think like that anymore.**_}

"_Well what if I told you that humanzzz eat Pokémon too?_"

{_**Now you're just pulling my tail,**_} I replied, unamused by this.

"_No, I'm serious! Farfetch'd! Clauncher claws! Sharpedo fins! People eat Pokémon all the time! In fact, the Thrifty Megamart sellzzz all sorts of food made with Slowpoke tails! Slowpoke tail sandwiches, peppered Slowpoke tail! You name it, they got it! And it doezzzn't even hurt the Slowpoke; they don't feel a thing when their tailzzz fall off, and once they lose them, they grow right back!_"

{_**Wow...That's, um...I guess it's okay, then,**_} I decided. {_**But then why don't I just buy food from there, then, instead of hunting for it in the wild?**_}

"_Well, no offense, but you seemed like the type to like your meat raw._"

{_**That is true...but I'd rather not kill things anymore. That's behind me...Looking back on my hunting days, it wasn't pretty.**_}

"_Ah...If you say so. But if you change your mind, that'zzz okay, too! Just don't prey on people, izzz all! Or Rotom for that matter! Haha!_"

{**_Don't worry; I don't plan to...All I plan to do is get my hands on something manmade to eat._**}

"_Soundzzz like a plan! And it's especially convenient that the Thrifty Megamart izzz LITERALLY just northeast of here! Go ahead and look_!"

I turned in the given direction; there was the megamart, in all its glory.

{_**Well, let's not wait! Everyone back to your Poké Balls! We have a trial to get to!**_}

* * *

_..._

* * *

"Wow...You really like that stuff, don't you?"

{_**Oh, you have NO idea, Rotom.**_}

I'd gotten the miniature Slowpoke tail quiche for just 145₱, and it was amazing; the savory blend of eggs, cheese and diced Slowpoke tail was incredibly flavorful, and better than anything raw I'd eaten in the past.

{_**The next time I buy one of these things, I'll see what it tastes like hot.**_}

"_It soundzzz almost as delicious as Pokébeanzzz! Well, shall we move on up the tunnel?_"

I nodded, and Rotom held onto my hat as I dashed through the Dividing Peak Tunnel. It was a straight streak that lead right to Route 8, and I was hit by the salty smell of the ocean breeze as I emerged...What a wonderful scent.

I was about to keep going, but the sight of another Trainer caught my attention. She had a pretty heavy-looking backpack on her, and was scanning the area, going up and down the road, scanning the area, Poké Ball in hand. She was looking for someone to battle, for certain.

A little warmup wouldn't have hurt before the trial, so I alerted her to my presence with a bark. She turned to face me in an instant.

"Oh, ho HO! The mysterious scaly Trainer everyone's been talking about! I'm on somewhat of a journey myself, you know? How 'bout we see who's got the upper hand in strength?"

I nodded eagerly, and she fetched her fighter.

"Alright, Eevee! Show 'em!"

The Evolution Pokémon emerged, and landed on the ground with a happy chipper.

"_Eievui!_"

{**_I thought that Eevee were rare..._**} I skepticized. A decent number of people seemed to have them. {_**Oh, well. Grace! Get ready!**_}

My own Eevee materialized on the battlefield.

"You've got one too, huh? Well, let's see who fares better! Start this off with Quick Attack, Eevee!"

{_**Grace! Weaken him with Baby Doll Eyes!**_}

She did just so, and the attacker skidded to a halt in the middle of his high-speed charge, thrown off by the sudden look of affection.

"_Vui...?_"

{**_Got 'em right were we want him! Tackle!_**}

With one swift motion, she slammed head on into the other Eevee, knocking it clean off its feet.

"Don't let it beat you down! Try Quick Attack again!"

The opposing Pokémon fired up the move, and before I could call out my next command, it rammed itself into Grace, sending her flying. She managed to land on her feet, but was a bit shaken up by the attack.

"Try again!"

{_**Another Baby Doll Eyes, let's go!**_}

Grace opened her eyes widely again, and for a moment, I could see a mild blue glimmer in them. The enemy Eevee saw this too, and staggered back before it could attack.

That was when I noticed something odd.

Grace almost looked like she was...glowing. Almost like how Dartrix did when he evolved from a Rowlet, but quite a bit fainter. And there was a strained look on her face.

"_Eie...Vui..._" she grunted. Her ears perked all the way up for a moment, and almost looked as though to be getting bigger from beneath the glow...But before they could get much further, the already dim light began to dissipate, and they returned to their original position. She let out a relieved huff when it was over.

And then, out of the blue, she jumped forward and used another Tackle Attack without me even having to order it!

{_**That's my girl!**_}

"Come on, Eevee! Fight back harder! Use your own Tackle!"

But it was too late. Grace had the enemy pinned down on the ground, and that was when she hopped into the air, then shot down right onto her opponent, kicking up dust.

It was quick to clear, and it revealed the other Eevee, completely knocked out.

{_**Nice job out there, Grace!**_}

"_Eievui..._" she smiled back at me, still looking a bit nervous after what happened out there.

"Not bad...Guess I've got some more training to do, huh?" the backpacker mused. "Here. Take this."

She handed me my prize; 400₱. Today was already off to a great start.

"So where you off to?"

{_**Rotom. Care to explain?**_}

"_We're going to the Lush Jungle to take on the trial! Bzzrt! How 'bout you?_"

"Me? I'm just on a trip to find myself, is all. Name's Kiana, and I left home to get stronger. No Island Challenge for me. Not yet, at least. I just want to find what's missing from my life, whatever it might be...But it's something, I know it."

{_**Well, I hope you find whatever you're looking for,**_} I nodded. {_**And thanks for the battle. Come on, Grace. The Lush Jungle isn't far.**_}

"Eievui..."

{**_Grace...Did something happen out there on the battlefield?_**"

She tensed as she walked alongside me, and showed off a grimace.

{**_It looked like you glowing a bit. Almost like you were...starting to evolve._**}

She sighed.

"_Vui? Eie, eievui, eievui...Vui._"

{**_What'd she say?_**}

"_Oh...She sayzzz she almost did, but since it's morning and not night, she wouldn't have been the Umbreon you wanted. She didn't want to disappoint you._"

{_**I know I asked you this already, but you do WANT to be an Umbreon, right, Grace?**_}

"_Vui! Eie, eievui!_"

"She said she wantzzz it more than anything if it makes you happy!"

{_**Well...Just know that I'm not forcing you to evolve into an Umbreon, alright?**_}

"_Eievui..._"

She shrugged nonchalantly, then hopped up onto my back and climbed up to the top of my head as we continued down the road. It looked like we weren't much farther away from the next trial sight.

{_**Are you up for having any battles in the jungle, Grace?**_}

She smiled, and chippered in response.

{_**I guess that's a yes, huh?**_}

"_Vui!_" she nodded.

I spied another path branching off from the main road, and just down it, I saw what looked like a small building of some sort. I smelled...something oddly familiar coming from that direction, and I was inclined to check it out before heading into the next trial site.

{_**Rotom, does it say on your map what this place is?**_}

"_Oh, it sure doezzz! This is the Fossil Restoration Center! If you find any Pokémon fossils to bring here, they can extract the DNA from them and uzzze it to restore the extinct Pokémon back to life! In fact, according to the description, the person who runzzz the place wants to turn it into a whole theme park centered around Fossil Pokémon!_"

{_**Wow...That sounds like a pretty great idea,**_} I replied. {_**We don't have any fossils, though, do we?**_}

"_No, but that doezzzn't mean we won't get any in the future! Let's be sure to come back here when and if that happenzzz, okay?_"

{_**Sounds like a plan...But we've got to get moving again. Come on, Grace, let's get you back in your ball for now.**_}

She nodded, hopping off of my head and onto the ground as I returned her to her capsule. Once she was secure, I started back onto the main road and began the dash to our destination. It didn't seem too much longer before I passed a motel and turned southeast onto the dirt road, and before I even knew it, I was staring up at the trial gates.

{_**We all set?**_}

"_Sure are! Let's move out!_"

With a kick of my feet, I ran through the log tunnel, and in an instant, the sun disappeared behind the dense treetops above. The temperature dropped, the air stilled, and the dank, bittersweet smell of moss filled my nostrils.

It was wonderful.

And that was when I spied the trial captain.

"Hey, it's you! I was hoping you would stop on by!"

I recognized Mallow from when she and Olivia met us a few days prior, when I first stepped foot on Akala Island with my human friends.

{_**So these are your trial grounds...**_} I chittered, still enveloped in dense greenery, barely hearing Rotom as he translated my speech. {_**...You definitely have good taste.**_}

"Pun intended?"

{_**What do you mean by that?**_}

"Guess you don't know what you're actually gonna be doing here yet," she continued, taking in her own whiff of the rainforest atmosphere.

"Ahh...I can already tell what the ingredients are going to be...I don't suppose you're aware that I collect a lot of my spices and herbs from here, are you?"

{_**You mean for your cooking?**_}

"Absolutely. And that's exactly what we're gonna be doing here in order to lure out some Pokémon!"

{_**Cooking? For the trial?**_}

I cocked my head curiously. This had definitely subverted my expectations a bit, but I wasn't going to complain. I already had a growing appreciation for good food; knowing how to make it myself sounded even MORE appealing.

"We're going to be making my own personal culinary masterpiece: the Mallow Special! All you have to do is forage the jungle for the ingredients we need...But watch your back. Sometimes, Pokémon come around to snag the ingredients and eat them on their own, so you'll have to battle them in order to get what you need!"

I nodded understandingly.

{_**What do I need to find?**_}

"The ingredients for the Mallow Special; A Mago Berry, a Tiny Mushroom, a Revival Herb and a Miracle Seed. You got all that?"

{_**Mago Berry, Tiny Mushroom, Revival Herb and Miracle Seed. Got it...I'm not sure if I'll know them when I see them, though.**_}

"Hmm...You don't have Stoutland Search on your Ride Pager, do you?"

{**_No; just Charizard. And I don't really...use it that often. I'm not that keen on flying._**}

"I see...That could be a problem."

"_Wait! I have an idea!" Rotom piped up. "Echo, don't YOU have a pretty keen sniffer yourself? You might be able to track 'em down! And I know what the ingredientzzz look like, so I'll be able to help you with that too!_"

"Hey, that should work!" Mallow agreed. I was also on board.

{_**Rotom, you always know what to do, don't you?**_}

"_Haha...Well, I mean..._" he replied, screen turning a bit pink. "_Just doin' my job, you know?_"

"One more thing! Here's a forage bag for the ingredients you find; if you just stuck them in your regular bag, they'd get all mixed up, you know? Not to mention, regular item bags aren't exactly the cleanest places to store food."

She handed me a separate bag; it was smaller than the one on my back, and held shut by a draw string. It smelled strongly of the herbs it used to have in it.

"That should do it! Let the trial begin!"

With that, I trotted further into the jungle to see if I could pick up a scent.

{_**Rotom. What do you think a Mago Berry would smell like?**_}

"_Well, it'zzz a berry! Probably fruity and sweet!_"

{**_Let's see..._**}

I sniffed around, slowly heading up one of the northwest path. Then, suddenly...

{_**I think I've got something.**_}

"_Great! Let's follow it!_"

I kept following the path, and the sweet scent kept getting stronger. I spotted a dead end just up ahead; it seemed like the berry was right around where the path stopped.

{_**I think it's right about-**_}

Before I could finish, I heard the sound of rustling leaves. I looked next to the bush on the side of the path, and saw that it was shaking. Was something inside of it?

My question was answered when I was suddenly ambushed from the culprit!

The Pokémon dashed out in front of me to block where the scent of the berry was coming from; I was more convinced I was looking at a plant than a sentient creature, since its pink stem was covered in green leaves. But its alert eyes told me otherwise, and the two sharper leaves on its front seemed to slice at the air a bit.

{**_What's this Pokémon?_**}

"_Allow me!_"

"_Fomantis: the Sickle Grass Pokémon! During daylight hours, thezzze Pokémon sleep in the sunlight in order to soak up the sun's rayzzz, and look for a safer place to sleep during the night! They use their stored energy for their evolution when the time comezzz!_"

The Pokémon was small, but was ready to put up a fight...It was too bad I had a Fire-Type on me.

{_**Alright, Sassafras! Now's your time to shine!**_}

I released my trusty Salandit, and she trilled eagerly as she faced her opponent.

{**_Go for it! Use Ember!_**}

She nodded back to me, a smile on her face. Then, in no time at all, she'd fired up the flames in her mouth and shot the projectile at the opponent. It hit the Fomantis hard enough to just nearly faint it in one hit, but it wasn't doing down just yet, and it fired up what looked like a Leafage attack.

{_**One more time!**_}

The Fomantis was determined, but Sassafras was stronger, and before the Leafage could make it to my fighter, she'd already prepared another Ember, and it hit its target yet again. This time, it wasn't getting back up.

{_**Excellent! I think I'll keep you out of your Poké Ball so we an be ready for the next one, alright?**_}

She nodded cheerfully, pleased with how things were going along. Now that the Fomantis was out of the way, I was able to inspect the source of the smell, and saw half of a berry sticking up out of the loose ground. All I had to do was brush the dirt away and the Mago Berry became as clear as day, and I just scooped it up and put it into the forage bag.

{_**That's one down. Now what do we need...A Tiny Mushroom, Revival Herb and Miracle Seed, right?**_}

"_You got it!_"

{_**What does the Revival Herb smell like?**_}

"_Bleugh, bitter! I've had the displeasure of trying them before; they make you wanna lose your lunch! It shouldn't be hard to find...They smell azzz bad as they taste!_"

{_**That's enough information for me. Might wanna hold your...erm...Do you have a nose?**_}

"_I guess...? I mean, I can smell stuff, but ya don't really see anything there on my face._"

{**_Just watch out for the odor._**}

I sniffed the air again; through the lingering smells of the trees and earth, I picked up a bitter hint coming in from the north.

{**_I've got a scent. We're heading north._**}

I passed up that way, leaping over one of the patches of tall grass as I went, and Sassafras running alongside me; I noticed that she even walked on her hind legs, instead of just standing up on them. I found this peculiar; the wild Salandit I'd battled before her crawled and ran on all fours, like normal lizards. But Sassafras seemed more keen on standing upright when she got around, almost like...

Me and my sisters.

I knew she said she wasn't like the other Salandit, and merely wanted to be appreciated for who she was, but emulating my own gait? This was a dedicated Pokémon.

And, really, there was no reason to find this a bad thing.

The bitter smell of the herb was coming from a tiny bare patch among the grass, now more apparent than ever. I could tell that my Pokémon smelled it, too; Sassafras was now only breathing through her open mouth, and Rotom had his own blocky arms covering where his nose would be if it were visible. Strange...I wasn't really bothered by the smell of the herb; in fact, it almost smelled like something used to make the quiche I'd bought from the Thrifty Megamart. Maybe Mallow would have further insight on this? I decided I would ask her when the trial was done.

I poked my head through the bare patch, and lo and behold, there grew the Revival Herb, right from the ground. I smiled at the sight of it, then carefully wrapped my fingers around the base of the plant and pulled it up out of the ground, roots and all.

{_**That's the second one!**_}

"_Foman!_"

As if on queue, another Fomantis leapt out of the grass and confronted us.

{_**Another one of these? Well, you know what to do, Sassafras!**_}

She didn't even wait for my order; she already knew to fire up her Ember attack and send it flying at the enemy Grass-Type. This time around, she dealt about the same amount of damage as she did the last time; almost, but not quite enough to one-shot it. But the effects of the attack on the Pokémon were more apparent; a spot on the top of its head continued to smoulder, and after a few more seconds, the Fomantis tried to prepare a Leafage, only to succumb to its wounds and faint right in front of us.

{_**Uh...What happened?**_}

"_Oh! The Fomantis was burned by the attack! Happenzzz in battles with Fire-Type moves all the time! Don't worry, i-it should be fine!_"

{_**Hope so...**_}

That was when the small Pokémon regained its senses. Still under the effects of the burn, it retreated back into the grass to hide.

{_**Alright. Two left...****How about the Tiny Mushroom, Rotom?**_} I asked, storing the Revival Herb away in the forage bag.

"_Oh, they smell a lot better than the herbs!_" he answered, lowering his appendages as my Salandit started to breathe normally again. "_Ah, the bag izzz blocking the smell. Sweet relief. Ha...Anyway, though, a lot of mushroomzzz have a sort of earthy scent, so it might blend in with the rest of the ground some, But it'll probably smell stronger, and maybe a tad sweeter!_"

{**_Let's see what I can get...M-hmm..._**}

Sure enough, the balmy scent Rotom had described was coming from the south, closer to the entrance to the trial grounds, it seemed like.

{_**Okay. Follow me.**_}

We headed back south as I followed the scent of the mushrooms. I passed by where Mallow stood, then sniffed the air again; the smell were close now, coming not to far from my right; there was another dead end there.

And right in front of me, there sat two mushrooms; one very small and the other almost half as large as me.

I knew that the recipe only called for the Tiny Mushroom, so I plucked the smaller one out of the ground and stuck it in the forage bag, and was just about to turn around...

When the Big Mushroom began to move.

The loose soil around it fell away as it rose up, and it turned out that the mushroom was attached to a Pokémon!

A very strange-looking one, too; it looked like some sort of giant insect, and with blank, emotionless whited-over eyes. It gave of an unsettling aura.

{_**What IS that, Rotom?**_}

"_Scanning...Scanning...Scan complete!_"

"_Parasect: the Mushroom Pokémon! The mushroom on its back has mostly taken over the host bug, and doezzz most of the thinking! They're known to swarm trees in large hordes and drain the nutrients from the lower trunk and rootzzz! Eek! Scary!_"

{_**No wonder it gives me a bad feeling...Sassafras, put the poor bug out of its misery.**_}

She nodded, almost reluctantly, then stood up to face it and spat an Ember its way. Its dual Bug-Grass typing was its downfall; the infected creature fell in one hit, and the smell of cooked mushroom spread through the air. It smelled...strangely appetizing.

{_**That thing's mushroom can't infect us, can it, Rotom?**_}

"No, it can only infect this Pokémon. In fact, the sporezzz from the fungus are used for medicinal purposes in some places, didja know that?"

{**_Huh...Interesting._**}

"Hey, you guys! How much more do you have left to find?" Mallow called to us.

"_Zzrt! Just the Miracle Seed and we'll be ready!_"

"Awesome! You guys are really doin' good!"

I should think so, I said to myself. Sassafras has really shown off her skills.

{_**What do you think a Miracle Seed would smell like, Rotom?**_}

"_A miracle Seed...Gee, that'zzz...a good question, really. Seeds don't usually have much of a smell, I don't think. Hey, Mallow! What doezzz a Miracle Seed smell like!?_"

"What's it smell like? Well...I guess the scent could be described as umami; it almost smells like a combination between asparagus and cilantro...But that's only if it's right up close to you; but with a nose like yours, you should still be able to find it! Try to track down something bitter-smelling and just a bit tangy. And another thing; they tend to show up more in the eastern part of the jungle, so I suggest you look there!"

{_**Let's see what I get.**_}

I sniffed the air again, and I picked up...something very subtle. Earthy, bitter...just a bit tangy, like she said. I could just barely smell it, so I had to go around in a few circles to determine which direction it was coming in from...

The east. Just like she said.

{_**I've got a scent. Come on, guys.**_}

I dashed up the path, clearing taller grass patches in single leaps; I sort of felt bad for the humans not being able to jump so far. As long as a grassy patch wasn't too big, I could probably refrain from using Repels, and the wild Pokémon I did encounter would at least serve as something to train against.

I turned a corner to the right, heading south; the scent was very near, now, and there were several large boulders along the path, some of them even blocking off entire parts of the path. I wondered how they got there...

That as when I began to pinpoint the source of the smell.

It got stronger, and seemed like it was coming from the ground, so I lowered my head, keeping my nostrils close to the earth, and sniffed out the Miracle Seed. I was almost upon it, when all of a sudden...

I rammed into something headfirst, and emitted a pained squawk.

"_Ah! You okay, bud!?_"

{_**Yeah, just...**_}

I looked up; I'd bashed my head into one of the large boulders by mistake. And the Miracle Seed smelled like it was...buried beneath it. just a few inches or so down?

{_**Huh...Wonder how we're gonna get the seed out from under there.**_}

"_I hear that Tauros can destroy boulderzzz like these ones! They're also Ride Pokémon here in Alola, too!_"

{**_No Tauros. I've one too many bad experiences with those,_**} I declined. {_**...But aren't Grass and Fighting-Type Pokémon strong against Rock?**_}

"_That'zzz true!_"

{_**Hmm...**_}

I snagged a Poké Ball from my pack and called out Red. As always, he made a graceful landing.

"_Ru-Cha!_"

{_**Red. Do you think you can Karate Chop through this rock?**_}

"_Ru..._"

He looked up and down the obstruction carefully, searching for a place to land a good enough hit. Finally, he spread his wings and took to the air, flying higher and higher, up to the tops of the trees. Just before he ascended into the open sky, he looked back at the rock, then swooped down and shot himself right towards it, and right before the collision, Red crossed his wings, and they glowed with the heated red energy as they made contact with the rock.

I scrambled away from the rock and shielded Rotom behind me, and then there was a loud, crumbling noise. Chunks of stone flew all over, and I barely was able to dodge them all.

When the dust cleared, it revealed that the rock had been reduced to nothing but a pile of broken pieces, pebbles and dust. My trusty Hawlucha had decimated it in one hit.

Amazing.

He stepped to the side, taking a bow, and I dug into the rubble to locate the Miracle Seed. All I had to do was push away some of the rock chunks and then dig a few inches into the ground, using my clawed hands as makeshift shovels, and it wasn't long until I uncovered the pale green seed in the ground, and the familiar aroma wafted up from it.

{_**Gotcha.**_}

I picked it out of the dirt, blew the dust off of it and stuck it in the forage bag. That was the last one.

{**_Red, once we're done here, remind me to get more Pokébeans for all of you._**}

"_Haw..._" he nodded, a satisfied smirk on his beak.

{_**Alright...Back in your Poké Ball, though. We have to get these things back to Mallow.**_}

I dashed back down a series of ledges to make it back to where Mallow stood in wait, sounding off a bark to catch her attention. Once she turned to face me, I showed off the things in the forage bag, and an excited smile spread across her face.

"Hey, you got everything! Nice work out there!"

{**_So, now what do we do? I mean, how do we prepare it?_**}

"Well, now all we need to do is-"

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

"How've you been, Mallow? Oh...looks like my friend from Brooklet Hill just gathered everything."

I turned to face the source of the voices, and there, coming into the jungle, were the other two Akala trial captains.

{_**Kiawe? Lana?**_}

"_Zzrt! What are you two guys doin' here?_" Rotom grinned.

"Mallow requested we deliver a few ingredients from our own turfs to complete the Mallow special," Kiawe explained, handing the things he'd brought to the third captain.

"Here's the Rare Bone and Thick Club."

"And I got the Fresh Water and usual Rocky Helmet."

{**_Uh...Rocky Helmet?_**} I repeated. Rotom was equally confused.

"You'll see what that's for in just a bit," Mallow assured me. "Thanks for gathering the stuff, everyone! Now we're gonna cook up a storm and lure out the Totem Pokémon!"

That was when she pulled out a picnic blanket and set out the ingredients Kiawe and Lana brought onto it.

{_**Oh, now we're talkin',**_} I smirked, showing off my rows of pointy teeth.

"Alright, let's see that forage bag you got there, Echo."

I handed her the sack, and she took everything out, placing it down neatly along with the other things.

"Mago Berry, Miracle Seed, Revival Herb, Tiny Mushroom...Yep! That's everything! Okay, then! Let's get this show on the road...Lana! Let's flip over that Rocky Helmet and pour in the Fresh Water!"

"On it."

All she had to do was screw the cap off and tip it over to fill the helmet.

{_**Oh...So, the helmet works as sort of a bowl?**_}

"Now you're getting it!" Mallow nodded. "The minerals from the rocks give the dish an extra savory essence. Now we just add the ingredients you got from the jungle..."

She carefully placed the mushroom, herb, berry and seed into the water-filled helmet.

"Now for the final step...Kiawe, hand our scaly friend the Rare Bone and Thick Club, would you?"

"Certainly."

He handed me the two bones; one was smaller and softer, and had a mild earthy aroma to it, and the other was larger and more sturdy, and the tips of them smelled of...smoke? How strange...But it was an oddly pleasing aroma, for something pertaining to flames.

"Alright. Get a good grip on your utensils and concentrate on the ingredients."

I held them both firmly, and narrowed my gaze into the bowl, now flashing a confident, concentrated stare.

{_**Now what?**_} I chittered.

"You use those bones and pound all of it to a pulp!"

{_**Is that all?**_}

"That's right! Crush the seed! Grind the herb! Smash the berry and mushroom into goo!"

{_**Well...Alright.**_}

"And make sure you use both bones! Their flavors have to be mixed in well enough!"

"_You heard what she said! Show those ingredientzzz who's boss!_"

I took a look at the bones, took a deep breath as I rose the bones, then smashed them both into the Rocky Helmet.

"That's the way you do it! Keep it up!"

I nodded, and as I continued to mash the ingredients together, I could detect a new smell beginning to form from the mix.

"Grind the bones against the herb and seed some! That'll really mix them in good!"

I complied, crushing them both until they were barely recognizeable. The mushroom was the last one; all I had to do was smash it once, and it was reduced to a pulp, and I mixed that right in with the other ingredients until everything was well blended.

That was when the smell wafting up from it intensified. I could detect both savory and bittersweet elements in it.

"Wow...You did amazingly!" Mallow congratulated. "It shouldn't be long now until-"

That was when I heard a loud rustling coming from the bushes, and we all froze.

Slowly, the three trial captains turned their gazes east, and I could see the shock on Kiawe and Lana's faces. Rotom also turned to look in the same direction, and his already large blue eyes widened even more, and he began to tremble. I was still paralyzed stiff where I stood.

{_**...It's right behind me, isn't it?**_}

"_Might wanna turn around and see it!_"

I slowly turned to face the beast, and a feeling of dread began to hang over me. This felt like the time me and my sisters encountered the white monster all over again, and I silently hoped that I wouldn't see the horrible creature towering over me when I turned around...But I couldn't put the fight off forever, so I slowly turned around to face the creature, heart racing in fearful anticipation of the fight to come against the...the...

Giant pink bug?

It was 'giant' in bug standards, at least. The Totem Pokémon stood no taller than me, and had the same pink and green shades as the Fomantis we'd fought earlier. It tilted its head curiously, staring at me with its large, pink eyes...And I swear it looked like it was wearing striped pants.

{_**Oh...**_}

My fears alleviated, and I let out a sigh of relief.

{_**Ha...You're not so bad. For a moment, I thought you we're gonna be something terrify-**_}

"_Lu-raaan!_"

It's warbling cry echoed across the rainforest, and I staggered back at the noise. The Pokémon raised its pincer-like arms and glared fiercely.

Alright, so it didn't look threatening on the surface, but I wasn't about to underestimate the Totem just yet.

{**_Rotom. Can you get a scan on this thing? If it's both a Bug and Grass Type, we shouldn't have a problem._**}

"I'm on it! Scanning...scanning...Scan complete!"

"_Lurantis: the Bloom Sickle Pokémon! It uses energy from the sun to fire beamzzz from its sickle-shaped petals! It might look like a Bug-Type, but this is only a ruzzze used to trick enemies, and it's actually a pure Grass-Type! Zrrt! No double offensive advantage here, it lookzzz like!_"

{_**At least we still have the double defensive advantage****,**_} I acknowledged. {**_Alright, Sassafras! Now's your time to shine!_**}

I tossed her Poké Ball, and she materialized before the giant Pokémon, narrowing her squinty eyes up at it.

"_Srrrr..._" she growled.

{_**Let's start off with your Ember attack!**_}

She fired up and launched quickly, but the Totem Lurantis was faster than it made itself out to be, and it simply swerved around the flaming missile before launching its own attack, being Razor Leaf; I recognized the move from my own Dartrix.

But despite the wide-ranged attack landing on my fighter, it did very little except make her wince a bit, and she stood her ground.

{_**Try a Dragon Pulse!**_}

The Lurantis was all over the field, and the captains and I watched as my Salandit fired beams of blue and purple energy from her mouth trying to hit it properly. The entire jungle seemed ablaze with the light of our attacks.

Finally, one of the Dragon Pulse attacks landed a mark when Sassafras got the smart idea to aim where the enemy was GOING, not where it was in the moment, and I could tell that it took a large chunk of energy out of the Grass-Type. It looked half beaten already, and it was our first hit!

I must be training them all well.

{_**Try another one! It looks like that did a number on it!**_}

But before my Pokémon could prepare the attack, the Lurantis called out into the jungle for help.

And something came to its aid; a black and white avian Pokémon with a colorful, yet sharply pointed beak.

"_Oh, no! A Trumbeak! Sassafras might find this one harder! Kzzt!_"

{_**Quick! Fire the Dragon Pulse at the Trumbeak!**_}

She obeyed, and the bird Pokémon was hit by the sudden attack before it had the chance to dodge, taking even more damage than the Lurantis had.

{_**Atta girl! Now Ember!**_}

She fired up her flames, but before she could launch them, the Totem Pokémon began to advance on her, its scythes crossed over each other in preparation for an attack.

{_**Use it on the Totem!**_}

As the Grass-Type drew closer, I realized that the flames burning in my Salandit's mouth seemed to burn hotter than before, and more yellow than red. The Lurantis landed its attack, but at the very same time, Sassafras launched her own hit from close quarters, and the enemy yelped in shock and pain as it was engulfed in flames.

No Ember attack I'd ever seen before did THAT to a Pokémon, even when it inflicted a burn.

{_**Whoa...**_} I gurgled.

"_Hey! Sassafras learned a new attack! Incinerate! It'zzz more powerful than Ember!_"

And since it was more powerful, that was the end of the Totem Lurantis, and it fell into a faint before us.

{_**That's my Pokémon! Now all we have to do is take out her Trumbeak sidekick!**_}

Sassafras stood back up on her hind legs to face the Flying-Type. She looked a tad worn down from the two hits she'd already taken, but the damage was superficial; she had this battle in the bag.

{**_One more Incinerate!_**}

But the Trumbeak had since regained its composure and prepared to back up its fallen Alpha, and it flew off to the side, readying a...strange-looking attack from its beak.

{_**What's it doing...?**_}

My question was answered when it fired a stone from its beak, hitting my Salandit square in the chest a good three consecutive times!

"_Salan!_"

She was sent flying across the battlefield and collapsed for a moment, but was able to get back onto her hind feet, albeit shakily. My knees were almost as weak as hers.

{**_Rotom, what WAS that!?_**}

"_This could be bad! It lookzzz like that Trumbeak knows Rock Blast! Super effective against a Fire-Type like her! And thozzze things have good aim!_"

{_**Urgh...That's a problem. We'll need to work around that. How, though...?**_} I wondered aloud. If it had good aim, Sassafras wouldn't last long against it. If only we could obscure its vision somehow.

_Obsure its vision..._

That was when it hit me.

{_**Sassafras! Use Smog and hide the battlefield!**_}

She nodded back to me, then fired up her thick cloud of toxic gas, letting it seep out across the field, shrouding her in inky blackness. The enemy Trumbeak continued to fly, keeping the cloud in its line of vision and searching for an opening. It seemed to have as keen an eye as I did myself.

But even so, I could tell it was struggling to see my Salandit through the smog, as I did. But even though I couldn't see her, I knew she could hear me.

And that was when I called out my next order.

{_**Fire your Incinerate right in front of it!**_}

The enemy tensed, and in a split second, I saw the ball of fire shoot out of the cloud cover and ram right into the flying opponent before it could think to dodge. The opponent was engulfed in the flames, and then stopped flapping its wings, spiraling towards the ground and into the smog cloud

Sassafras blew away the inky gas to clear the battlefield, and it revealed both the ally and Totem Pokémon on the ground, defeated.

We did it.

"_Sraaaah!_"

Once again, the Salandit stood tall on her hind legs and gave off a victory cry. And this time, I joined right in.

{**_That was amazing!_**} I praised her. {_**You single-handedly got me through the whole trial! Well...except for Red smashing the boulder, but I mean battle-wise.**_}

Her black-scaled face gained a tint of dark red, and she smiled.

"Wow...! Nice job out there, you two!" Mallow congratulated. "You were really able to draw out the flavor of your Pokémon! The Totem practically bowed right down to you!"

"Yeah...You showed my Wishiwashi who was the strongest, too," Lana chimed in.

"As well as my own Salazzle, and you did so with her own pre-evolved form right here," Kiawe commented. "Totem Salazzle didn't stand a chance against your skill, Echo. And I'm proud to see the Pokémon from my own trial sight having become such a valuable member of your team."

{_**Well, my Salandit's a bit different from the others. And I'm glad I saw that in her when we first met.**_}

On queue, the Toxic Lizard Pokémon trilled again excitedly, the red tinge on her face turning brighter...

And then spreading across her entire body in a blinding glow!

The light intensified, and I could see the shape of the Pokémon underneath begin to change; the small lizard Pokémon became larger and more slender, and the light shrouding her flashed from red, to white, and then to pink.

And then the light dissipated, and revealed the lean and elegant creature Sassafras had become. The sleeker, mask and glove-like markings on her face and limbs were gone, now matching the softer uniform black, and her soft indigo undersides, almost the same color as the stripes on my own back, were trimmed with rosy flame-shaped markings, and the same color was also present on the underside of the tail.

She wasn't as big as the Totem Pokémon from Kiawe's trial, and her soft lavender eyes lacked that sharp, foxy glow. Her new pink markings were also a bit different from the Totem's; they curved a bit more at the points, and the color wasn't as bright and intense, and a bit lighter.

But this was nothing to complain about. In fact, the softer colors matched her milder disposition in comparison to others of her species.

{_**Whoa...**_} I marveled, eyes wide with wonder. {**_Sassafras, you...You look amazing!_**}

Her tail swished modestly, and she put a hand over her mouth as she emitted a bashful trill. Even Kiawe himself was impressed by my newly-evolved Salazzle.

"Wow...This is an amazing specimen, Echo. I didn't think a Salazzle with softer features like this would ever be so...impressive. You've raised her well."

{_**A lot of it has to do with Sassafras herself, though,**_} I credited. {_**She's the one who decided to train herself for the battlefield before I caught her. Isn't that righ?**_}

She nodded in modest agreement.

"Well, you beat the trial," Mallow continued. "Why don't we all celebrate by digging into the Mallow Special?"

"I was just thinking that," Lana giggled.

"A good battle does work up an appetite, doesn't it?"

{_**Sure does, Captain Kiawe,**_} I answered, Rotom still translating my garbled dialect as the grass trial captain whipped out a few bowls for us. {_**You know, that's another reason to be glad about showing up here...The food I've been eating lately is a lot more...refined than what I used to have access to.**_}

"Really?" she asked, handing me serving of the Mallow Special. "How so?"

{_**Well...For the most part, me and my sisters just ate raw meat...Sometimes, live prey was let loose in where we lived, and...When we caught it, we just...ate it alive. While it was aware, and alert...And in pain...I even remember doing the same to...some humans back then...just to keep myself alive.**_}

The mere thought of such a thing made me shudder.

"_Srrrl...?_" Sassafras trilled, noticing the fear in my gaze.

"That's awful," Mallow sympathized. "Y-you'll be okay, though...right?"

{_**I will. I know I will, because...That's all behind me. It's over now. I have a new life here. A new pack and new friends, and I feel like...Even though I'm not actually a human, I become a bit more like one everyday. I might have scales, and stripes and claws, but...I want to be human on the inside. And from what I've seen, I think I'm on the path to that goal.**_}

"I'm as pleased with your hopeful nature as I am with Mallow's culinary masterpiece," Kiawe joked, finishing off his serving. "...You going to eat yours?"

{_**Huh? Oh...Sorry. Got so caught up boring you all with my story, I forgot about that.**_}

My own remark caused everyone to laugh. Even Rotom struggled not to giggle while he was repeating it back to the humans.

"Ah...It isn't boring, I promise..." Kiawe assured me.

"I'm proud, to say the least," Lana told me through a mouthful of the dish.

"That brings up another question," Mallow added. "What exactly are your species called? You and your sisters, I mean. Do you guys have a name?"

I let out a wheezy bark of a laugh.

{_**If you'd asked me that just yesterday, I wouldn't have been able to tell you. The only reason I know now is because I had tend to have dreams about my past, and remember things through them. I had one just last night...We're Velociraptors. 'Raptor' for short. That's what the humans training us referred to us as.**_}

"I've never heard of such a thing," Kiawe mused. "It is a very imposing species name."

"_That'zzz what I said!_"

{_**Yeah, the name is one thing I'm proud of.**_}

"Well, you won't have to be hunting anymore, I'm pretty sure of that," Mallow promised me. "Now dig in!"

{_**Oh. Right.**_}

I lifted the bowl up in my mouth and was about to tip all of the contents of it right into my waiting jaws.

"Wait, wait, hold on!" Mallow nearly shrieked, and I froze.

"Ha...If you want to be more like a human, you're gonna have to learn to use a fork."

{_**Oh.**_}


	18. Chapter 16: The Dimensional Research Lab

It wasn't long until after everyone finished their dish that I noticed Lana and Kiawe's expressions begin to shift uncomfortably.

{_**Something wrong, you guys?**_}

"Phew...Is it me, or is it getting hot out here...?" the fire captain trailed off, beginning to sweat.

"That's the kick!" Mallow explained. "It comes pretty shortly after you finish it up!"

"I think this is a bit more than just a kick, Mallow..." Lana responded. "I'm afraid to see what you think 'spicy' is."

"Come on, you guys, it isn't tha bad. I mean, look at Echo. She isn't bothered by it...Are you?"

{_**There IS a bit of a warm feeling in the throat once it goes down, but it's nothing I can't...**_}

That was when the heat spread from the back of my throat up to my tongue. And it wasn't so subtle once it got there. I ended up having to open my mouth up in order to try and release some of the heat.

{_**Never mind, it is spicy. Too spicy for me. Maybe go a bit easier on the heat next time? I feel like Sassafras using Incinerate...Hey, maybe she would like this better. You want what I have left, girl?**_}

She trilled gratefully, then grabbed the fork and dug in.

"Ha! A Pokémon using a fork...How polite!" Mallow chortled.

{_**She tends to take after me in a lot of ways, it looks like,**_} I explained. {_**She even stands on her hind legs to run instead of going on all fours...I swear that her dialect even has a few similarities to mine.**_}

"Wow...That's pretty interesting," she nodded. "...So, you've completed all three of the Akala trials! Now all you have to do is take on the Grand Trial against the Island Kahuna and you'll be able to continue onto Ula'ula Island! You excited?"

{_**I might decide to do some more training before I make my way over there. Gotta make sure everybody is strong enough for the challenge ahead...Grace especially. My Eevee needs more catching up in strength out of anyone. But that doesn't mean she can't pack a punch already; she's downed a few opposing Eevees already.**_}

"That does sound like a good idea. Kahuna Olivia is pretty strong; the Rock-Type might have a lot of weaknesses, but she knows how to use them REALLY well."

{_**Oh, wow...**_}

"She might have done good in this trial," Kiawe chimed in again. "But I do NOT recommend putting Sassafras up against the odds of Rock-Types. She'd be squashed!"

"_Srr?_"

She looked up from her eating, a look of worry in her face.

{_**I guess it's a good thing I had some more team-building in mind...**_} I gurgled. {_**That reminds me...Do you know where to find Pokémon Fossils?**_}

"I know," Lana replied. "There's someone who sells them in Konikoni City for 7,000 a piece. Only one of each kind per customer, though."

{_**7,000! I'd have to battle at least a dozen Trainers in order to wrack up that kind of money...**_}

"Well, I guess it's a good excuse to train, isn't it?" Mallow suggested.

{**_...I guess you're right. I guess I'll get on out there...Can't overdo it, though; the midday heat messes with me a bit too much. Come on, Sassafras, get back in your ball; we've got some more training to do._**}

She nodded and trilled, letting me return her to her capsule.

{_**So, Mallow, have you ever let anyone else try your Special? I know we think it's a bit hot, but I'm willing to bet some people can handle the spice.**_}

"Oh, Professor Kukui thinks it's DELICIOUS. I even gave him the recipe for it! I don't think he's much of a gourmet, though; he'll eat just about anything! Guys, am I right?"

"_Ahem..._"

"Oh...No offense to you, Kiawe. You have some pretty refined taste."

{_**I wonder if Hau would like it? He's one step behind me in this whole Island Challenge thing, so he should be coming over to take your trial for a spin here maybe by tomorrow. Today he went back to Melemele Island to try and find some more Pokémon for his team.**_}

"Woo! What's that sweet smell I smell driftin' my way? Could it be a tasty Mallow Special?"

We all turned to face the jungle's exit. There, just walking in to meet us, was none other than the Professor himself. I approached and gave him a chitter of a greeting.

"How's it been, Echo? Judging by the smell, I'd say you just wrapped up Mallow's trial, huh?"

{_**I did. Sassafras handled every battle, and she did it amazingly...She even evolved!**_}

"Wow, hey, nice goin'! I guess you'll be takin' on the Grand Trial next?"

{_**At some point today, probably. I've got to do some training first to prepare for that, and I want to see if I can get my hands on a fossil of some sort to take to the restoration center off of Route 8.**_}

"Well, before you go do that, why don't you come with me down over to Heahea City first?" he suggested. "I wanted to show you the Dimensional Research Lab down there, yeah!"

{_**Dimensional Research Lab...Isn't that where Professor Burnet works?**_}

"Sure is! I told her some things 'bout you already, and she says she wants to meet you in person, you know?"

{_**Sounds like a plan. Should we go now?**_}

"Hey, whenever you're ready, we can head on down there! Beat you over there!"

He gave himself a running start out of the Lush Jungle.

{_**Oh, that's what you think...**_}

I stretched my legs and dashed after him, Rotom hanging tight on my hat, and leaving the three trial captains in the dust.

"Wow..." I heard Mallow say from behind. "The Professor might be a fast runner, but he doesn't stand a chance against _HER_ in a race!"

* * *

_..._

* * *

{_**Where to now, Rotom?**_}

"_Just another right off of Route 6! The Professor'zzz in the dust!_"

{_**Not a problem.**_}

I made a sharp turn, and the dirt road turned to asphalt. There, just ahead, was the destination; the Dimensional Research Lab, and I skidded to a halt just outside the entrance. The Professor had really bitten off more than he could chew with the challenge.

{_**How fast was I?**_}

"_Phew! Pushing 45 mph! Impressive! Kzzt!_"

I looked around; the Professor still hadn't shown up yet at the lab yet, but his scent was gradually getting stronger.

{**_...Do you think I should've gone easier on him?_**}

"_Ah, it'zzz only a foot race. He's got you topped in other fields by a lot, ya know!_"

{_**Might as well head inside while we wait, huh?**_}

"_Sure thing!_"

"Go, Nebby! Use...use Splash!"

"_Pew?_"

We walked in through the driveway, and sure enough, there were Lillie and Nebby. Was she trying to...train it? I barked curiously.

{_**Thinking about becoming a Trainer?**_}

"Ah!"

She swiftly turned around to face me, and her initial fear quickly turned to embarrassment.

"Oh. Heh. You saw that, huh? Don't mind me, I'm just...uh...pretending to be one."

"_For practizzze, maybe?_"

"Well...I don't know. I guess you could say I've been starting to consider it just a tiny bit...But either way, I can't really train Nebby much. It always ends up getting hurt too easily, it's so weak. All Pokémon end up getting hurt in battle, so I...never really liked Pokémon Trainers, or thought I'd ever want to be one. But when I saw you and Hau the other night, it...It was like it opened a door to me. One that I thought would always be closed, or...maybe I never even knew it was there to begin with. It's just...so fascinating, and I'm not sure why...I still don't know about the whole Trainer deal, though. I mean, not everyone has to be one and can still like Pokemon, right?"

{_**That's true,**_} I nodded. {_**Each to their own, I guess.**_}

"M-hm...So, uh, where's Professor Kukui at? He was the one who wanted to bring you here. Did you come by yourself?"

"Ha...Wow...Yeah, I...I'm not makin' that mistake again...Phew!"

{_**Not exactly...**_}

The Professor had arrived, and he looked like he'd just taken a long jog through Wela Volcano Park.

"_The Professor tried to challenge the 45 mph speed master here to a race to the lab. He lost. Big time. Zzrt!_"

"Yeah, don't rub it in, Rotom..." he huffed.

"Are you alright, Professor...?"

"I'm fine, Lillie, just kinda...tuckered out, yeah? Heh...Burnet's prob'ly gonna ask me why I'm all sweaty now..."

{_**Sorry, Professor.**_}

"Hey, my idea, not yours..." he chuckled, finally starting to regain his composure. "So...wanna head in?"

I nodded eagerly, and the Professor opened the door for all of us and we entered the lab. I chittered at the sight of it, impressed by how clean and bright the place looked. The Professor lead us to an elevator on the far wall, and it took us up to the next floor. All we had to do next was turn the corner, and he whistled and waved to catch someone's attention.

"Hey there, honey! Guess who I brought on over!?"

One of the humans in the room turned to face us. She had white hair, and...wasn't wearing a lab coat, like almost everyone else in the room. Maybe she had one, but just didn't have it on right now...It didn't really matter much, though.

"Oh, hi!"

{**_Is this Professor Burnet?_**}

"That's right!"

{_**Rotom. Have you met her before?**_}

"_Sure have! She's just as great azzz the Professor here! Kzzt!_"

"So, you're Echo, are you?" she asked me. "I've been wanting to meet you ever since Kukui told me about you...A lot of people here have, actually. And I see that you're the one who got the Rotom Dex, too. You must be the reliable sort."

"_Oh, she sure izzz, Professor B.! And I not only serve as her Pokémon encyclopedia and map, but also constant companion and speech translator!_"

"Is that so?"

"_Uh-huh! I'll show ya! Go on, boss, say somethin'!_"

{_**Well, I...**_}

Just like every time, Rotom translated everything I said. I was still a bit embarrassed by all of this, though.

{_**It's...an honor to meet you, really. Lillie and the Professor were so good to me, so...It's not hard to figure out that you are, too.**_}

"Well, I'm glad to know that. In fact, I've taken particular interest in you when Kukui told me your story."

{**_How so?_**}

"Well..." Lillie chimed in. "When we found you on the beach, it was weird, because...That's what happened to me a while back."

{_** ..What?**_}

"_R-really?_" Rotom buzzed.

"That's right," Professor Burnet confirmed. "It all happened just three months ago...We found her lying on the back. Cosmog...or 'Nebby,' was with her in her bag, also unconscious...We brought her in and nursed her back to health, all the while wondering about the strange Pokémon that she had with her. She was pretty wary of us at first, but she came around, and we decided we'd help her learn more about Nebba and its strange powers. That's what I've been putting most of my research into...Until now, at least."

"_Wowie...The whole 'washed-up on the beach' out of nowhere thing DOEZZZ sound pretty similar to what happened to you!_"

{**_Scarily so..._**} I nodded. {**_...Have you uncovered anything so far?_**}

"I did notice one thing," she replied. "The readings I got from the same location shows an increase in strange activity both on the day I found Lillie and the day she and Kukui found you. I suspect that a wormhole of some sort might have something to do with it...But the readings from the day you showed up were different; stronger aura readings, and they were seemingly connected to some other end instead of spontaneous teleportation...A wormhole, to be exact. One connecting from one universe to another...But none like any other we've theorized...Especially since we now know what else lived in this world."

{**_So, what you're saying is that I come from an entirely different world from this one altogether?_**}

"That's what we've all concluded."

{**_But...How? How is that possible?_**}

"We don't know the fine details of it just yet."

{**_And...What do you mean when you say you know what else lived there besides me? How can you do that?_**}

She and Professor Kukui exchanged nervous glances, then turned back to me.

"...I sent her the tooth I found buried in your neck for a DNA analysis," the Professor informed me. "She says that running it through the ultra-analyzer here at the lab was able to recreate a digital model of the creature it came from."

{_**The...the monster?**_}

"Whatever it was that attacked you...I haven't seen it yet, though."

"If it's not too much to ask," Professor Burnet continued. "Would you mind seeing it? Just to confirm that it IS what you faced?"

{_**I...don't know...**_}

I thought about it for a moment. I didn't want to have to face my past...But wasn't all of this for an important cause? And...I might have a new life in the Alola region, but I couldn't just ignore my past anymore.

I sighed, then chittered and nodded in agreement. Professor Burnet showed off the tooth to us...it looked slightly more yellow than I last saw it, and she lead us to the main computer monitor on the north wall of the lab, stuck the tooth in a cylindrical compartment to the right of the dashboard of a control panel, then pushed it in and pulled a switch. The machine whirred some, and slowly, the screen loaded up, reconstructing the monster that me and my sisters faced off against in the form of a harmless image.

Finally, it flashed "ANALYSIS COMPLETE," and the next thing I knew, I was staring directly at an exact replica of the creature. All of us stared, it both amazement and terror, at the beast that knew nothing but how to kill.

"This would be the top predator in any environment," Professor Burnet explained. "It has an incredibly weak aura, like Echo here, but it makes up for this with its sheer power and aggression. It's essentially a killing machine; it has heat-sensing pit organs like Arbok and Seviper, can regulate its own body temperature at will, is able to open its jaws almost a hundred and eighty degrees...and it can change the color of its scales to camouflage itself."

{**_It...could definitely do that last one,_**} I confirmed. {**_...I saw it do that._**}

"_S-so, that's the monster..._" Rotom shuddered. "_It doezzz look like how you described it. I wouldn't want to come across that thing in a dark forest...or anywhere. Ever..._"

"It doesn't seem like anything you would find naturally in the wild. Here, let me see what it's made of."

She typed in a command, and a pie chart came onto the screen. It was one large portion, and then there were several other, much smaller parts. They were all just labeled with a bunch of question marks; the computer didn't know what they were called.

"So this confirms that it's a hybrid creature of some sort," Burnet told everyone, peering a bit more closely at the screen. "Except we don't know what it's made of. Not any Pokémon, that's for sure."

{_**I know part of what it's made of.**_}

That caught everyone's attention.

"What? What is it?" Burnet asked. She was especially intrigued by this.

{**_...It's part Velociraptor,_**} I grawed. {**_My own species. I don't think I told you yet, Professor. I remembered what my species name was, and wrote it down in my passport...Owen said that was what it was...what I am. What we all were._**}

"'Velociraptor,' huh?" Professor Kukui repeated. "Huh...Interesting name."

{_**Yeah,**_} I replied, emitting a light gurgle of a laugh. {_**I've already got that twice.**_}

"How much of your DNA do you think this things has in it?" Burnet asked.

{_**I don't know...Enough to smell and sound like us to an extent, at least.**_}

"Burnet, how about I send you my DNA analysis? That oughta let you see how much...'Velociraptor' is in that creature. Echo, you don't know if this thing had a specific species name, do you?"

{**_I don't know. I don't think I ever heard it...At least, I don't remember if I did. Not yet, that is._**}

"It is an intriguing specimen," she remarked. "I just wish it could tell us what..."

She trailed off, suddenly falling silent, as she peered more closely at the display on the screen. I could see some sort of dread begin to settle in her gaze.

"...Wait a minute, what's..."

She zoomed in on the chart. Particularly, on the smallest portion of it...the only part of the creature not labeled by question marks.

And none of us believed what it said when it came clearly into view.

"_**0.05%**_

_**Human**_"

"Holy..."

Kukui swore under his breath.

"...It's _part human_..." Professor Burnet just barely whispered.

{_**But...How?**_}

"DNA splicing is a thing, especially in the case of restoring fossils...But almost all of the time, it's just from another Pokémon," Professor Kukui stated. "Using the DNA of a human in the genetic code of something like that...That's dangerous."

"That piece might actually contribute to its high intelligence," Burnet continued. "...This creature wasn't bred; it was designed in a lab. It had to be. And not only that, but in an entirely separate universe, too...Whatever is going on over there, I just hope they know how to subdue it."

{_**Subdue? No, no. There's no subduing that thing. It's too smart and too strong. It won't let anyone subdue it,**_} I chimed in. {_**That thing is a ruthless, savage monster, unlike any Pokémon in this world...It's too dangerous to be kept alive.**_}

"_She should know,_" Rotom nodded. "_She and her sisterzzz had a full-blown conversation with it!_"

"You understood it?" Lillie marveled. "What types of things did it say?"

{_**...It has a garbled dialect. Similar to mine and my sisters, but deeper. And more volume-oriented...The humans sent us after it to try to kill it, but it tried to take over; stepped in and called itself our new Alpha. It told us to turn on the humans and...kill them in cold blood. And that if we didn't, it would...**_}

Rotom trailed off along with me.

"_Could we, uh, drop this topic? She doezzn't like talking about it. Like...at all._"

The three humans present all turned their attention to me.

"...Are you okay?" Lillie asked.

{_**I...should be,**_} I answered. {_**It's just...every time I picture that thing, or...look at it now...it reminds me of what went down that night. Nobody should ever have to go through what I went through. My entire life as I knew it fell apart at the seams, and...We were no match for that monster, and neither were the humans. My sisters and Alpha are all...they're all probably...**_}

"_Boss?_"

I let out a shaky sigh, looking back at each of my human friends.

{_**...But...I was lucky enough to find something new here. With...You, the Professors, and Lillie and Hau, and Rotom, and my Pokémon, it's...It's strange. It's almost like somebody knew what was happening to me back at my old home and...rescued me from some horrible death...What could have been able to open up a wormhole into an entirely different universe? Or who?**_}

"That's part of what we're trying to figure out, Echo," Professor Burnet answered. "Some people here in Alola think that one of the ancient Pokémon from the legends might have come from a wormhole. That wormhole specifically is what we here call the 'Ultra Wormhole.' There are a lot of legends and myths surrounding it, though, so I can't say for sure right now what's fact and what's fiction...I will say this, though, concerning your situation, even with a few puzzle pieces still missing, some of this does make more sense now."

"Yeah...It is pretty interesting to think somebody rescued you," Lillie marveled. "And...that just goes to show you that if something with that much power went out of its way to pull you out of that mess, then...someone somewhere really does care about you. Like we do."

"_Pew!_" Nebby squeaked in agreement.

"That reminds me...Where is Hau?"

"Oh, he headed back to Melemele for part of the day; said he was gonna try to catch another Pokémon to add to his team, yeah! You should see him and Echo...They've only been buds for a few days, and I swear, they're almost like siblings to one another. Amazing how far a little kindness can go, huh? Hey, just goes to show that whenever you need us, just know that we'll all be right here for ya," the Professor promised. "Always."

I felt the corners of my mouth turn up, and I turned to face each one of them again. This new family...this was why I was taken here. I knew it for sure.

"Well, I gotta head back to work," Burnet finished. "The disturbances in the surrounding area now have been more frequent today, and I'm gonna get to the bottom of it all."

"I won't keep ya, then. Have a good rest of the day, alright, hon'?"

"Oh, don't you worry about me, I will. And Echo. Good luck with your Island Challenge!"

{**_Thanks. Things have been going pretty smoothly so far; I just need a bit more training done before I face the Kahuna._**}

"Ooh, big battle coming up, huh? Well, you best get on out there and keep up the good work!"

{_**And thanks again for the information. I'm still...trying to wrap my head around some of it, but at least I have an idea on how I got to Alola from my old home.**_}

"See you when you get out!"

"Bye..."

"Catch you three later!"

"_Zzt! Hey! I'm here, too!_"

"Haha...Sorry, Rotom. I could never forget you, though."

He crossed his blocky arms in mock-contempt as we turned and left, re-entering the elevator and stepping back out onto the ground level floor.

"So, um...What do you think? O-of Professor Burnet, I mean..."

{_**I like her plenty. I haven't known her that long, but I'd say she's as great as the Professor.**_}

"Ha...Well...You aren't wrong."

{_**It's weird, how both of us ended up collapsing outside the lab like we did...What was it like for you?**_}

"Um...Not too much different. Except I was more cold and wet than I was hurt, like you were...And Nebby was with me. I was actually on my way to find her when I ended up the way I did, and...I got pretty lucky with where I finally gave out. Ha...uh...Anyways, she...stayed up all night listening to my story, and then Professor Kukui lent me his loft to stay in. Together, they decided to help me investigate Nebby's origins, and see if we can get it back to its old home...But it's not just that. Professor Burnet...She's s-so kind to me, and nice, and...She's been like...like a real mother to me."

That caught my attention.

{_**...Did you not have one before?**_}

"Well...um..."

She just grew silent all of a sudden.

"...I'd rather not discuss that."

{_**Hmm...Well...Alright,**_} I nodded. {**Professor, I'm going back up to Route 8 to fight a few Trainers.**}

"Better now than never! Just don't overheat..."

{_**It's not quite as bad over there...the sea breeze does feel pretty refreshing, so that helps.**_}

"_Yep! Perfect for rustin' my circuitzzz!_"

{_**Wait, what? Really?**_}

"_Haha! I'm just teazzzin'...But it might take some o' the luster out of my shiny red Dex body if I'm exposed to the salty breezzze for too long. Hey, at least I can take some shelter in your pack, am I right?_"

I chittered a laugh, and my humans friends joined in pretty quickly.

{_**One more thing...When do you think Hau is going to get back to Akala?**_}

"I'd think he should be back by sundown," the Professor assumed. "I doubt he'd take a chance on missin' your Grand Trial, and if there's one thing I know about that guy, he's the reliable kind, yeah!"

{**_He definitely is...Well, I'll see you all later._**}

"Take care out there!"

"See you this evening, Echo..."

I turned and started a light trot heading out towards Route 6 again. I continued to think about everything that had just occurred as I went, and the more I did, the more intrigued I was by all of it; Hau and I had been right about her, it looked like; there WERE some things she was keeping hidden from us.

But the extent of it, I didn't know...Although I had a hunch that the pieces would all come together eventually.

* * *

**Hey, hey, it's this story's first anniversary! Thanks for the support, everyone! There's a lot more yet to come, so stick around! :D**


	19. Chapter 17: Preparations

{_**Come on, Grace, you got this! Tackle, one more time!**_}

"_Eie, eie-VUI!-_"

She slammed head first into her opponent, knocking it clean off its feet. But it wasn't down yet; it seemed to do a flip in the air just before it hit the ground, and landed on all fours, the sly glint in its eyes growing brighter and more angry.

"_Mrrrrrr..._" it growled. I'd never seen an Alolan Meowth until now. One thing was for sure; it was a lot more cunning and sly than the Kantonian variant.

And a LOT more temperamental.

"Come on, Meowth, you got this! Use Bite!"

{_**Baby Doll Eyes! That'll weaken it!**_}

My fighter flashed her charming gaze at the opponent. It staggered for a moment, but quickly shook its head and kept honing in.

{_**Dodge that and pin it from the side!**_}

"_Vui!_"

She dove out of the way of the Meowth's attack just in time, only to spin back around towards it, push off the ground with her back legs and pin it down onto the ground.

{**_That's the way! Now, Quick Attack!_**}

But the attack she fired up next was something entirely different. Instead of launching herself, Grace fired up an array of white-glowing stars, and once they'd all formed around her, they zipped by and all slammed smack into the enemy Pokémon, hitting it all over.

{_**A new attack!**_}

"_Kzzrt! She learned Swift! It's more Powerful than Tackle and Quick Attack, and hazzz the added bonus in that it never misses!_"

{_**Wow...And look at that!**_}

The opponent was down. It'd taken too much, and had fainted. Again, we won.

"_Eie...vui..._"

"Wow...Your Eevee's pretty good, for one so young," the Trainer remarked, handing me the generous prize of 1,200₱. "I thought we'd be tough enough to take you on, but I guess we've got some extra training to do ourselves, you know?"

{_**That's why I'm here now; aiming to take on the Grand Trial later today, and I don't want to be underprepared...I'm also looking to get a fossil while I'm at it. And this is the best way to save up for one, right?**_}

"No doubt about that. Good luck with-"

"_Vui...Eievui..._"

We looked down at Grace; again, she had that evolutionary glow about her again, and just like last time, her ears were a bit larger and a tad more perked.

{_**...We battled an Umbreon on Paniola Ranch,**_} I explained. {_**She saw how much I liked it, so she decided she wanted to be one for me. And since she'd so set on doing that, I think she's...trying to resist evolution into something else. I do like Umbreon, but if she's resisting becoming something else just to try and please me, I...don't know if that's good for her. I might ask the Pokémon Center nurse about it. In fact, I might as well head there now to stock back up on potions and the like before I take on the rest of the Trainers here. Thanks for the battle.**_}

She flashed a thumbs up, and I was off to the Pokémon Center. I skidded to a halt just outside the door and let all of my Pokémon out, just to see how many extra potions I had to stock up on and the like.

{_**How's everybody holding up?**_}

"_Cha..._"

Red flashed a thumbs up, but it was obvious that even he was out of breath, now. Understandable, though; just about any Pokémon would be after fighting four consecutive battles in the afternoon sun. The good news was that even though they were worn out, they didn't need much in the way of healing; Sassafras burned Mikey's Bounsweet and Trumbeak to a crisp, Red demolished Nicki's Miltank, learning the new move Flying Press in the process, and Dartrix had downed Alan's Rockruff with just one Razor Leaf. The only exception was Grace; the Alolan Meowth that she went up against had managed to land a few good Bite attacks on her in the first half of the battle, and she was just as tired as the others.

A few Potions wouldn't hurt for later use. Not too many though; if I went nuts, I'd waste all of my prize money and not be able to get a fossil. So after I returned everyone to their balls, went in and healed them up at the front desk, I got my hands on three Potions, stuck them in my pack and headed back out.

I couldn't help but spy the slope just outside of the Lush Jungle that lead to a small, rocky shore. And there, sitting in plain view, was...

{_**...Rotom. Is that a...Pokémon of some sort over there?**_}

"_It lookzzz like it! Allow me!_"

He scanned the creature as well as he was able to from the distance he was at.

"_Just as I suspected!_"

"_Wimpod: the Turn Tail Pokémon! This aquatic Pokémon izzz extremely adaptable, able to thrive on both the seabed and the shore! But it's also a notorious coward; it'll run and flee at the first sign of any potential danger, leaving a sparkling clean wake in its path! Zzt!_"

{**_Do you think we could be able to catch something like that?_**}

"_Dependzzz on whether we can get close enough! I know you're a speed machine, but Wimpod are faster than you might think!_"

{**_I'm up for the challenge._**}

I crept up behind the Pokémon, slowly making my way down the rocky slope. So far, so good. It didn't see me...

Until a rock slipped beneath my feet and tumbled down the slope, and my claws clacked noisily against the ground when I regained my balance.

That was when the Wimpod turned to face me, and it immediately started running to the water.

But I had it outpaced. Its tiny legs might have been fast, but I was faster, and once I knew it saw me, I bolted after it, and finally caught up to the creature and placed myself in between it and the water, Poké Ball in hand. It backed away at the sight of me, emitting a sort of nervous, scratchy noise coming from its feelers.

{_**If you prove worthy, I'll let you join the team,**_} I growled at it. {_**Red! Let's see what this thing's made of!**_}

I tossed the capsule, and my Hawlucha materialized before its opponent, looking good as new.

"_Haw-LU cha!_"

{_**Alright! Start this off with Aerial Ace!**_}

He spread his wings, then honed in for the attack. The Wimpod curled into a ball in attempt to defend itself, but was unable to block the attack, and Red's powerful move sent it flying over the rocky ground and onto its back, and it stayed there, frozen, for a good fifteen seconds.

{**_...Did we win?_**}

"_Ah, Wimpod are sort of weak. But they get stronger once they evolve!_"

{_**What do they evolve into?**_}

"_I gotcha covered!_"

He displayed the evolved form of the Pokémon on his screen. And the image was a far cry from the puny little Bug-Type we'd just beaten.

"_Golisopod: the Hard Scale Pokémon! Itzzz claws are so sharp, they can cleave seawater, or even the air itself, right in two! Although it's very skilled on the battlefield, it also spendzzz a lot of its time meditating deep underwater. Once it enters a fight, it will go to any length it needzzz to in order to win! Impressive!_"

{_**Wow...Wouldn't THAT be something to have on hand!**_}

But before I could catch it, the Wimpod flipped itself back over from where it lay, and skittered off into he water and out of reach, leaving only a glimmering impression in the gravelly ground where it had landed, a glimmering clean trail following its wake.

{**_Aw, man...Guess it didn't want to tag along._**}

"_Hey! What's that in the impression it left?_"

I looked up, and saw something glittering in the sunlight in said spot. I approached the impression, lowered my head down to it, and with just one flare of my nostrils and puff of breath, I blew away the bits of grey sand and pebbles surrounding it, fully revealing the object.

It was a small, glimmering gold chunk, rounded off by the rising and falling tides that'd washed over it for who knows how long. I took a whiff of it; smelled metallic. I wasn't exactly sure what it was, though, until Rotom piped up, having examined it along with me.

"_ZZT! Is that what I think it izzz!?_"

{_**What? What is it?**_}

"_I think it'zzz a gold nugget! Do you know how much you can sell this at PokéMarts for!?_"

{_**How much?**_}

"_I'm not sure, but prob'ly enough to make up for most of the price of that fossil you want! Come on, let'zzz head back to the PMC and see if we're right!_"

{**_You don't have to tell me twice._**}

I dug the gold chunk out of the sand with a quick sweep of my clawed hand, bounded back over to the Pokémon Center and practically leapt in through the front door. I caught the attention of everyone else in there, though. Not what I intended. So to make up for that, I quickly straightened out my shirt, straightened my hat and casually headed over to the PokéMart desk.

"Back again, Echo? Forget anything?"

{**_Um..._**}

I rose the nugget up onto the front desk. The longer the clerk stared down at it, the bigger his eyes got.

"...Where did you find this?"

"_We found it in the gravel on the shore just south of here!_" Rotom answered for me. "_A Wimpod that we battled dug it up! Kzzt!_"

"Oh...Yeah, they're always digging stuff up out of the ground. Usually to distract people from going after it."

He lifted the object in his own hand.

"That's dense. Yeah, this is real, solid gold. Wow..."

{**_How much is it worth?_**}

"I'd say, from this standpoint..." he surmised. "...About 5,000₱."

{**_5,000₱!?_**}

My exclamation came out in the form of a shrill scream, and I staggered back in shock, once again earning the attention of everyone else in the small building. Even Rotom was a bit startled by the sudden screech I let out. In realizing what I'd just done, I looked to the crowd, stared at them for a few seconds as I analyzed their own expressions, gave them all an apologetic look, and cleared my throat before turning back to the PokéMart desk.

{_**Well...**_} I continued, Rotom now calm enough to translate for me. {_**Am I...able to sell that here?**_}

"Uh...Yeah. Sure thing. We take items like this and make a profit by selling them to collectors and researchers and such. I'll take it off your hands."

He readied the amount, and it wasn't long until the gold nugget on the counter disappeared and was replaced with a sizeable wad of cash. This was several times more than any amount I'd ever gotten from winning a battle, and I was blown away by it.

{**_...Thanks for that,_**} I said to the clerk as I took it and put it in my back.

"Hey, any time! Come back whenever you need anything else!"

I nodded, then quickly exited the scene.

{_**Ugh...I just humiliated myself so badly...**_} I gurgled as I lowered my head outside the building.

"_Hey, cheer up, bucko. Everyone makezzz a spectacle of themselves once and a while! Including me! Just don't be so loud next time, maybe, and you should be fine!_"

{_**I'll keep that in mind...Ah...The heat's not dying down much. In the mean time, I guess we should take a break from the battlefield, stop at Konikoni City to grab a fossil, then head back up to the Fossil Restoration Center to have it made back into a Pokémon for he team. Which way, Rotom?**_}

"_According to my map, Konikoni City is in the south portion of Akala Island! We can get there through Diglett's Tunnel! Bzzrt! _"

"**_Hmm..._**" I gurgled, looking at Rotom's map. {_**...The entrance to the tunnel is all the way back down in Heahea City. It'll take a lot of leg work going there and back and there again. Especilly in the heat of the day like this. And that's minus the time for battling any Pokémon we might run into along the way. Any shortcuts we could take?**_"

"_Uh, no shortcutzzz, but if you wanna get from one place to another and then back real quick, our best bet would be..._"

He paused, looking pretty uncertain.

"_Well...Charizard._"

I cringed. The memory of my first flight wasn't a pleasant one.

"_I mean, I know you're not big on heightzzz, but it will help us get things done nice and fast! Hey, whadaya say? Wanna give Charizard one more try? Captain Kiawe didn't give you the Ride Pager for nothin'!_"

I thought about it for a moment, looking back at my bag. The Ride Pager sat in there waiting to be used, and as terrified as I was the first time, Rotom did have a point. It'd get us to the tunnel, back to the Fossil Restoration Center, and we'd be back on our way to the Grand Trial with a fifth teammate in no time flat compared to running in the hot sun.

Besides, I knew what to expect this time, so...

{**_...I guess I'll give it one more go._**}

"_That'zzz the spirit! Let's call our buddy Charizzzard and take a ride!_"

Still not completely certain, I pulled out the pager and called for the immense, winged Pokémon with the flaming tail.

"_Gaurgh...?_"

He seemed a bit surprised to see me again after what happened the last time I called him out.

{**_...I didn't think I'd take Rotom's advice,_**} I said to him. {**_But we need to get to Diglett's Tunnel. And pretty soon afterward, we'd need a ride back to the Fossil Restoration Center and then back to Konikoni City. Is, uh...that too much to ask?_**}

The Pokémon shook his head and flashed a toothy smile, lowering himself so we could board him.

"_I guess not!_"

We got on, and the moment Charizard spread his wings, I shut my eyes as tightly as I could, and I felt us leave the ground, rising higher and higher into the air. The only thing that kept me from opening my mouth and screaming was the sound of Rotom's excited voice.

"_Wow! What a view! I can see the top of the Fire Trial grounds from up here!_"

{**_Is that really true or are you just saying that to calm me down?_**"

"_No, I'm serious, boss! Come on, open your eyes and take a look! Charizard's been flyin' people for agezzz! We haven't got anything to worry about!_"

Slowly and cautiously, I pried one of my eyes open to see if it was true...

And there, just to our left, sat the top of Wela Volcano in all its fiery glory. I saw the shapes of several Marowak and the larger, slimmer figure of the Totem Salazzle running about the peak of the mountain where the trial was held.

{**_...Huh. You'd be right._**}

"_Hey, and there's the Dimensional Research Lab right up ahead! Lookzzz like we're coming in for a landing! _"

I felt the wings on the Flame Pokémon stoop down, and I suppressed another screech as we descended towards the ground, heading just past the lab and flying low along the paved road before he stretched his legs out and landed right outside of Diglett's Tunnel.

{**_...Can I open my eyes now?_**}

"_Yeah, we're on the ground again! So, what'd you think of that ride? Not as terrifying as the last one, was it? You seemed a bit more into it!_"

{**_Well, I knew what to expect that time, which might have helped...But you are right. It wasn't as bad as I remember._**}

"_Rauuurrrgh! _" the Ride Charizard bellowed in agreement.

"_'Ey, Charizard, bud. You think you could wait out here a bit until we come back from Konikoni City? We're just pickin' up a fossil, izzz all, so we shouldn't be long!_"

"_Runff._"

He nodded and sat down on the grass just outside of the cave opening, and we turned toward the cave.

{**_...So, this is Diglett's Tunnel, huh?_**}

"_Sure is! What a lucky bunch o' Pokémon...I wish I had a place named after me!_"

{**_The, uh...Roto-Tunnel, maybe?_**}

"_That'd a great name! Now all we have to do is find an empty cave and invite a bunch of wild Rotom to come live in it! Ha ha!_"

{_**Easier said than done, probably...Well, let's go. We don't want to keep Charizard waiting forever. **_"

At that, I pulled a Poké Ball out of my pack and tossed it into the air.

{_**Red! Come on out!**_}

The Wrestling Pokémon materialized midair, and landed before me with poise, grace, and a fighting pose to boot.

"_Rucha,_" he squawked, awaiting instructions.

{**_You're staying out of your ball for the trek through the tunnel. Not only are you our best bet for fighting them, but since you're a Fighting-Type, you might as well train some more for the Grand Trial ahead. The Rock-Types won't stand a chance against a strong fighter like you._**}

"_Cha...!_"

He flung one of his wings around himself like a bright scarlet cape and grinned.

{_**Alright...Let's go.**_}

We stepped foot into the dark labyrinth, the only thing lighting up our path being Rotom's glowing screen.

{_**Looks like the path branches in a few places...Got any idea which way to** **go?**_}

"_Alas, my map can only navigate us on the surface...I got another idea, though! How 'bout you uzzze your keen sniffer to pick up fresh air coming from the other side of the tunnel?_"

{**_Let me see if I get anything..._**}

I rose my head into the air, and sure enough, I could smell the fresher, slightly cleaner air coming from the other side as opposed to the one we stood by now.

{**_I've got something. Let's move south and see if we get there._**}

With a kick of my feet, we were off. Diglett's Tunnel didn't seem quite as big as I expected it to be at first, but the twists and turns the underground path made broke this illusion pretty quickly. And boy, did the place live up to its name. There were Diglett EVERYWHERE. They popped up almost every three steps and angrily challenged us, thinking they could beat my Hawlucha, but one Flying Press was all it took and the enemy was down. That ended up happening so many times within fifteen minutes that I lost count, and I was beginning to get pretty tired of Diglett. On the plus side, it provided some extra training for Red, and since they were so easy to beat, he didn't seem to be getting tired just yet. I figured he could probably go on for quite a bit longer without having an extremely long break.

It turned out that we weren't the only trainers making their way through the cave. One construction worker that'd been working on the cave system recently waved a hand in the air and asked to pitch a battle, having heard about me from the Island Kahuna. All he had was a Diglett, and again, Red won the battle with flying colors...Quite literally.

{**_Why are there so many Diglett in here!?_**} I asked my beaten opponent, who seemed to have a better idea of it than I did. {**_I've never seen so many of the same Pokémon living in one place! And they're acting so...ornery! Why is that?_**}

"Well, ya see, there were a lot o' Diglett livin' here to begin with," he explained. "But as of recently, some o' those Team Skull thugs came along and have been riling 'em up tryin' to catch some for themselves without much luck."

{**_Team Skull? Oh, great...I don't want to have to face them again._**}

"Well, I haven't seen 'em pass by in a while, so they might be gone by now, but keep an eye out just in case. Good news is that members of the Aether Foundation have come down over here to try and calm the chaos. Said somethin' about gettin' most of the Diglett back into their underground nest and even takin' a few back to the Aether Paradise with 'em to help control the population a bit, since there's so many."

{_**'Aether Foundation'?**_} I repeated in a hoarse craw. {_**What's that?**_}

"Never heard of it, eh? Well, it's basically an organization that helps out Pokémon in need, wild and domestic alike. They're situated on a, uh...'VLFS' a ways southwest of Akala here out into the ocean. That stands for 'Very Large Floating Structure,' I think it does...Matter o' fact, it looks like we got a few here now comin' to check up on us!"

{**_Huh?_**}

I turned around the other way to see two humans, both clad in white uniforms, heading over to us.

"Alola~!" one of them, a female, greeted. "Just making sure everything's alright over here. We heard some commotion. Any Diglett trouble?"

"_Oh, no, no trouble! We just got done with a battle, izzz all!_" Rotom answered for me.

"Ah. I see...Well, make sure to keep an eye out," the male of the two reminded us. "Most of the Diglett are back underground where they belong, but there are still a few bustling about here and there that we're still trying to lead over to the dens. Travel safely."

"By the way...You're that 'Echo' Trainer, right? The one that sources say washed up on the beach one day and figured out how to train Pokémon?"

{**_Ah, yes. That...That'd be me,_**} I confirmed.

"Hmm..." she nodded, a thoughtful glint in her eye. "...I assume you've been doing a good job of caring for your Pokémon?"

"_Haw, lucha!_" Red responded, flashing a thumbs up and a smirk.

"Seems so...Well, good luck on your Island Challenge."

The two of them turned and left.

"Hey, they were pretty nice, weren't they?" Rotom remarked once they were gone.

{_**I...I'm not sure why I question that. Yeah, they did, but...I don't know how to explain it, but I felt a little...uneasy about them.**_}

"_Huh. I can't imagine why..._"

{**_Me neither...Here, let's just see if we can make it the rest of the way out of the cave, alright? Hey, fella. Thanks for the battle._**"

"Anything to help strengthen a fellow Trainer! Your Pokémon...They're fantastic!"

With one more nod, I turned and followed along the path again. The smell of the surface atmosphere was growing stronger. I couldn't have been much further away from the other side of the tunnel, so I picked up just a bit more speed and readied to turn the corner ahead...

Only to find two humans in familiar-looking outfits once I made it there, and the sight of them made me skid to a halt, stopping just a couple feet away from them.

"Hey, what gives!?"

"You got a problem, yo!?"

{**_Oh, NO._**}

"_Uh-oh._"

"Hey, wait..." the female skull grunt realized, eyes narrowing. "You're the fool who beat up my homie and ran him outta the clothing store back on Melemele!"

"Yo, what!? This is the Scarface chic everyone's yippin' 'n' yappin' 'bout back on the home turf!?"

{**_Hey, back off. We don't want anymore trouble,_**} I tried to reason with them, raising my clawed hands a bit in defense.

"Dang...She ugly. Never seen anything so darn ugly in my life! What is she, some kind o' sewer mutant that crawled out o' the depths of the Distortion World?"

"_Hey! You busterzzz back off! If you think she's ugly, how about you take a look at the people in the mirror!?_"

"And I'm guessin' you're that wise-crackin' PokéDex she's always got floatin' around, talkin' for her because she can't even speak for herself," the female grunt sneered. "I'd like to take my shoe to your screen and run it into the dirt, how 'bout I do that?"

Rotom flinched at the threat and zipped behind me, looking pretty shaken. That was the tipping point for me, though, and I got up into her face and let out a long and angry hiss. The two thugs stepped back some, but only for a moment before regaining their overconfidence.

"Hey, come on, dude! There's two of us and only one o' her! We can take her on, no biggie, and then make off with her whole team!"

"Yeah! Yo come on, let's check this fool."

They both drew their Poké Balls, and I hastily dug for another one of my own as Red made another one of his fighting poses.

"Hey! Echo!"

Another voice caught my attention, and another human came running up the path to meet me.

{_**Hau? Is that you?**_}

"Aue! I was wonderin' who you were playin' around with without me, and it's Team Skull! How'd you get tied up with these street punks again!?"

{**_I just sorta ran into them here. People say they riled up the Diglett living in here and that's why they're all over the place._**}

"And you're the kid who's been taggin' along with her on your lil' Island Challenge, ain'tcha!?" the male grunt pointed out.

"Heck yeah, I am! And we'll beat you just as well as we did the last two who tried to tussle with us!"

"Nice knowin' you two, then! Salandit, let's fight!"

"A'ight, Fomantis, you know the drill! Take 'em down!"

They released their Pokémon, and they each growled up at me.

"What? You guys are still usin' nothing but _prevolves?_" Hau mocked. "I've a mind to send out my Brionne against you two, but just for the sake of balance, I'll use my OWN first-stage Pokémon to fight you. Besides, you guys are SO dead either way...Hey, Echo. Wanna see what I got in Ten Carat Hill?"

{**_I'd love to._**}

"I figured you would."

He pulled out a somewhat peculiar-looking Poké Ball; it was black with green spots instead of red or blue with a white bottom.

"Alright! Let's show 'em what we're made of, Noibat!"

The Pokémon emerged, revealing itself to be a small, but determined-looking little Flying-Type, with very large ears and membranous wings like those of the Charizard we flew on.

"_Noi!_" it squealed.

{**_Interesting. Let's hope it helps us snag the win...Alright, Red, you know what to do._**}

"_Rucha..._" he snarled at the offenders.

"You take on the Salandit and I'll pick off the Fomantis," Hau suggested, to which I nodded in agreement. "Give it your Screech, Noibat!"

{_**Red! Aerial Ace!**_}

Hau's newly acquired Noibat emitted a high and shrill scream at the enemy Fomantis, so loud that it almost hurt my ears, and Red took to the air and made his wings glow, readying to swoop down and land the attack on the Salandit.

"Ember! Before it hits ya!" the grunt ordered his Toxic Lizard Pokémon, which began to fire up the flames in its mouth.

But it readied its attack a bit too late. Red had already honed in for the attack when he said it, and by the time it'd finished firing up its Ember, my Hawlucha had dove down with spread wings and struck the opponent square in the chest, sending him flying backward and landing at the grunt's feet.

The Fomantis fared even worse. One screech attack was more than enough to disorient it and lower its guard immensely, and Hau ordered a Wing Attack from his swift and agile Noibat. That paired with the fact that the move was super effective made the Fomantis fall flat on its back upon being hit by the wing, and it didn't look like it'd be getting up again.

As for the Salandit, it took just one more Aerial Ace to take it down for good. I didn't even have to order the attack; Red was skilled enough to know what to do himself, and it downed the enemy Pokémon easily.

I was pretty confused by just how shocked the Team Skull grunts were at their loss. What did they expect to happen if they sent out Pokémon like THAT against us?

"You know," Hau suggested, smirking a bit. "Since we won the battle, why don't WE make off with YOUR Pokémon?"

"No way, you can't do that! That ain't fair!" the female grunt protested, picking up her downed Fomantis before returning it to its confines.

"All's fair in love and war."

{**_We can do that?_**} I asked, Rotom seeming a little perturbed by the idea.

"I mean, we COULD, but that doesn't mean we SHOULD, you know? I'd rather not stoop down to the level these guys are on...Ya hear that, you two? You need to get on our level. Step up your game! Make things a challenge for us! A challenge is WAY more fun than just some easy win like this!"

"You sayin' we ain't got what it takes to put up a challenge for you two fools!?" the male grunt snarled.

"_Well, what do you think izzz gonna happen if you always use low-level Poison and Grass-Types? Predictable, predictable! Zzt!_"

"I'm gonna stick you in the bathtub with a toaster, how's that!?"

He backed away behind me again, and I stepped forward to confront the beaten grunts.

{**_If you so much as lay a finger on his screen,_**} I snarled, teeth bared, and Rotom too frightened to translate for me yet. {_**I'll make sure you never walk again.**_}

"Jeez...I'm surprised Kukui let you out into the streets in the first place with those kinda teeth," the female grunt taunted. "...Come on, Grunt, let's scram."

The two of them turned and made a hasty retreat.

"_Uh...I-I know they're not good people, but didja have to go that far with the threatzzz?_" Rotom buzzed, now calm enough to speak.

{_**I'm not so sure I'd really do that,**_} I answered him. {_**I just wanted them to get the message...But if they DO end up harming you or anyone else I know, like Hau here, or Lillie or the Professor, than I WILL teach them a lesson through some means...They wonder why I was let out on the streets. They've caused more trouble for people than...than I...**_}

"Something wrong?"

I sighed, realizing that what I was saying wasn't entirely true.

{_**...No. I've done some regrettable things myself back in my old home. I just haven't done anything to that extent here in Alola yet...The worst I've really done is attack that one Team Skull grunt back on Melemele, but even that's something. I need to remember to be more careful.**_}

"_Oh...Yeah, that'zzz right. You left a mark on that guy, huh...? But you don't need to worry about that anymore, okay?_"

"What? About the thing in front of the Malasada Shop that one time?" Hau asked, just to make sure he was on the right page. I nodded in response.

"Oh, yeah. That doesn't bother me anymore. We're cool, okay?"

{**_Yeah, I...guess you're right,_**} I agreed. {**_...You have a pretty strong Noibat. Ten Carat Hill, you said you found it at?_**}

"That's right! He flew down from the cave ceiling sniffin' around for the berries I had packed away. Put up a good fight, but in the end, he found himself in a Poké Ball. Good news for him is that now he gets more fresh berries than he ever could've dreamed of back in the cave! Heh heh...So what's new with you, eh?"

{_**Well, first off, Sassafras evolved into a Salazzle at the end of the Grass Trial, and I think Grace is ready to evolve...But she's resisting the transformation. I don't know what she'd trying to keep herself from turning into, but I'm pretty sure the only reason she wants to be an Umbreon and not something else is because of me saying I liked them. The next time this happens, I'll see if I can get her to change her mind...I'm honestly kinda curious as to what else she might become.**_}

"Yeah, me too. There are SO many different eeveelutions, it's hard to tell what one might aim to be...I'm gonna have some more fun takin' on some of these Diglett before I head out. Noibat might be pretty darn strong, but you can never be too prepared for the next fight, you know?"

{**_I do know. I'm on my way to get a fossil from Konikoni City and head on back to the Restoration Center. Good luck training._**}

"Hey, good luck with your fossil-mon to be! Catch you soon!"

I headed out of the mouth of the cave and emerged on the other side into the fresh air. And there, just one turn away, was the city.

"_Hey, there it izzz! Well, what are we waiting for, bucko? Let's grab a fossil and bounce back to the Fossil Restoration Center!_"

{**_Way ahead of you, Rotom. Literally!_**}

"_Hey! Don't leave me behind!_"


	20. Chapter 18: A Teammate in My Image

It looked like the pretty busy place; the entire main street was lined with shops and sale booths, and people had all sorts of different things on display for Trainers to buy. I was tempted to buy some of the sweet-smelling incense that was being sold by the entrance, or grab the TM for the ominous, but also strong-sounding move Shadow Claw to see what it could do to opponents, but I resisted the urge; I came hear to buy a fossil, and I was going to stick to it, so I kept scanning along the shops to see if any in particular stuck out as a place that sold fossils. Besides, 10,000₱ for just a TM was a little ridiculous, wasn't it...?

{**_You have any idea which place might carry them, Rotom?_**}

"_Dunno. For some reason, it'zzz not on my map...Let's ask one of the localzzz and see if they know anything!_"

I scanned around, and found myself looking at someone standing beside the Pokémon Center, a sack over his back that was labeled "herbs," likely for sale, like almost everyone else along the sides of the street. I confronted the human with a bark, hoping he might have a clue as to where fossils might be sold at.

"Huh? Oh, hey! You're that one Trainer everyone's talkin' about, huh? What brings ya to town? Well, besides the Island Challenge, that is...Need to restock medicine for your Pokémon, maybe? I'm self taught, but if you want, I've got good-quality herbs for sale!"

{**_Thanks for the offer,_**} I gurgled. {**_But that's not why I'm here. Do you happen to know where in town I might find Pokémon fossils for sale?_**}

"Oh, ho, HO. You bet I do. Olivia's Jewelry Shop has 'em being sold at the front desk? Only one of each kind per customer, though. That's where I first met my partner-to-be, Armaldo. And boy, does he do me good on the battlefield! And he also helps me harvest herbs."

{_**Really?**_}

"_Huh...I didn't expect a place like that to sell fossillzzz,_" Rotom remarked. "_But I guess that's a pleazzzant surprise! Thanks for that!_"

"Good luck on your Island Challenge!"

The store in question was right across from the Pokémon Center, so I dashed inside and scanned around. The first thing to catch my attention was...

A very peculiar Pokémon standing in front of the stairs.

It was large and heavy-looking, without any limbs, and really looking more like a metal or rock-carved sculpture of some sort. And it was very strangely shaped like...a human's nose? It did have eyes and a body, but it was really mostly nose. It even had three smaller nose-shaped protrusions on its sides and back.

"_Nopass!_" it snorted.

I noticed the piece of paper stuck in its...mustache, I guessed it was. I caught the sight of my name written on the top of it.

{**_...Is this for me?_**}

The creature nodded, so I grabbed the note and read it.

"_To Echo:_

_Olivia, here. This is Probopass. She watches the  
shop whenever I'm away. For whenever you're  
ready for the Grand Trial, come meet me at the  
Ruins of Life past Memorial Hill. I'll be waiting._"

{_**Huh...Well, I guess we won't be needing to come back here.**_}

"_Guess not! Let's grab the Fossil, hit the Restoration Center and head on back down to Memorial Hill! We don't wanna keep Charizzzard waiting too long!_"

"Fossil, you say?" one of the humans at the front desk overheard. "I've got 'em right here! But just one per customer and that's set in stone!"

{_**Excellent,**_} I chittered, approaching the part of the counter she was at. {_**What kinds do you have?**_}

"Well, we've got the daytime selection out now. If you want the nighttime selection, you'll have to wait until the sun goes down. But for now, we've got the Helix, Claw, Skull, Cover and Jaw Fossils up for 7,000₱ a piece.

{**_Do you know what kinds of Pokémon they can be restored into?_**}

"Honestly? I've never seen any living specimens myself, since they're so hard to come by. That is, all except for the Jaw Fossil Pokémon. I think I saw it in a museum once..."

{_**What's it look like?**_}

"Well..."

She scanned up and down me for a moment, a curious glint in her eye.

"...Really, I think it looks like a sorta smaller, stockier version of...you."

{_**Me...?**_}

"Yep. Now you can pick what you want, but I might just recommend the Jaw Fossil. You might come to like whatever it ends up becoming."

{_**Well, now I'm curious. I think I'll take that one.**_}

"Sure about that?"

I nodded and emitted a low growl of conformation.

"Well, okay then. Here ya-"

As soon as she placed the fossilized jaw bone on he counter, I eagerly picked it up in my mouth, paid the 7,000₱, turned and dashed out of the shop.

"-Go...Boy, is she quick," I heard her say as I left.

I turned back onto the road, called out Dartrix to handle the Diglett in the tunnel and followed the path I came through in the cavern. My eyes turned out to be more well-adjusted to the dark than I'd expected, as I could actually see just fine as Rotom was zipping close behind, too far back to light up the path ahead of me. With how fast we were going, only a couple Diglett jumped us, and Dartrix took them down with a few easy Razor Leaf attacks. Finally, we skidded back out the other side, the Jaw Fossil still held firmly between my own jaws. It was only then that I realized I still had it in my mouth, of all places.

{_**...Guess I was so excited, I didn't bother putting it away,**_} I figured, averting my gaze a bit as I properly put it away.

"_Rauurrgh._"

{_**Oh. Charizard. We're ready to go. Take us to the Fossil Restoration Center, please?**_}

He nodded and let me board on again. Before we took off, I tried to return Dartrix to his Poké Ball, but he seemed reluctant to go in.

{_**Something wrong?**_}

"_Rrrrrroo!_"

He pointed up to the sky with one of his feathers, and then spread out his large wings.

{**_What's he saying, Rotom?_**}

"_Ooh, that soundzzz neat! He wants to know if he can fly alongside Charizard as we go!_"

{**_Oh. Really? Well...I don't see why not._**}

He smirked in satisfaction, then positioned himself beside the Flame Pokémon and readied for takeoff.

{**_Alright, Charizard..._**} I ordered, readying to leave the ground again, my heart beating just a tad bit faster with uncertainty. {_**...Let's go.**_}

A flap of wings later, we were airborne, and we rose into the sky fairly quickly, much to my nervous surprise. I knew Charizard wanted to get us there quickly, but even still, I was a bit skeptical about the whole flying ordeal. Yes, I'd gotten used to it to an extent since my last two flights, but I really preferred staying on the ground. And the idea of traveling through water wasn't much better; something told me I wasn't the best swimmer, and I listened to it.

At least I knew the Charizard I was riding was well-trained; despite the unnerving height, he flew smoothly, so he had to know what he was doing. And the view wasn't half bad to enjoy, and it did get us from place-to-place a good amount faster than running, as well as being less tiresome.

I saw Dartrix soarind along side us, his broad wings catching the air and letting it carry him along effortlessly. He only had to beat his wings every so often to keep himself at the same height we were, and the refreshing breeze blew across his facial disc. He seemed to be enjoying himself quite a bit. Just the sight of him so content made me smile myself. Yeah...Maybe if I looked at the positives, that'd get me more used to flying.

Route 8 was directly ahead and below, and the Flame Pokémon began the descent, stooping a wing down and taking us right beside the Pokémon Center, and his immense blue wings flapped a bit more to ease the landing as he planted his feet on the ground. The entryway to the Fossil Restoration Center was in my sights, and I planted my clawed feet on firm ground once again.

{_**Thank you, Charizard,**_} I gurgled. {_**You really do your job well.**_}

It chuffed and nodded as I returned it to the Ride Pager. Dartrix turned to me, tilting his head a bit and smiling.

{**_You enjoyed that, did you?_**} I asked him, earning me a hasty nod of conformation.

"_Krrooo!_"

"_**Heh heh...**_" I chortled. {_**...You know something, Dartrix. All of my other Pokémon have nicknames. Red, Grace, Sassafras...But then there's you. You were my first Pokémon, Dartrix, and you've done me the best on the battlefield many a time. I think the only reason I didn't give you a nickname was because...well...It sounds kind of silly now, but I didn't know that was a thing you could do.**_}

He nodded in understanding.

{_**I want to change that,**_} I continued. {**_...Although I'm not sure what would suit you the best. Red got his nickname from his red feathers, Grace because she was so elegant even right after she hatched, and Sassafras because of the demeanor I thought she had...Now her nickname pertains more to the actual flower, though, I think. You...Would you prefer something like...Green?_**}

He grimaced, and stuck his pointed tongue out of his beak.

{**_No, you're right. Too stale...What about Fern?_**}

He thought about that one for a moment, but ultimately shook no. We began to head north towards the Fossil Restoration Center as we spoke.

{**_Needle? As in pine needle?_**}

"_Koo, kroo roo..._" he disagreed.

"_He sayzzz that he prefers deciduous trees._"

{**_Oh...Leaf?_**}

He cringed.

"_No offense, but do you just name your Pokémon the first thing that popzzz into your head?_"

{_**Hey, you've gotta give me credit for Sassafras. You know that name is cool, don't deny it. Especially since it has a double-meaning.**_}

"_Admittedly so! Bzzt!_"

{_**...You are right, though. That is what I did with the other three...Maybe since I didn't name him right off the bat, that's what's making this difficult.**_}

Dartrix nodded and hooted in agreement, then pointed out that we'd reached our destination with an outstretched feather.

I let out an excited gasp. I was so anxious to get my hands on that Fossil Pokémon that I reached back and scrambled to get the Jaw Fossil from out of there and ended up tangled in everything else in the bag. The human manning the lab trailer must have seen me struggling, because no sooner than the moment I finally, frustratingly pulled it out of the pack in my jaws did I notice him standing there before me.

"Got it out of there okay?" he asked.

I was about to answer yes, but his eyes widened in panic at the sight of the fossil in my jaws.

"Whoa, whoa, hey! You can't have that in your mouth!"

I wasn't sure why it was a problem, but I didn't hesitate to grab the fossil in my hands anyways. I did cock my head in confusion, however, and he was able to read it well enough.

"Agh...The DNA from your spit could mix in with the salvageable DNA of the fossil Pokémon and mess up the restoration process, that's why. It's always best to have as little physical contact with a fossil as you can if you wanna restore it properly...Sorry if I startled you, there, but I just wanna make sure everything goes okay, alright."

I nodded shamefully.

{**_...Sorry. I was just so excited to see what I might get, that I didn't think twice about..._**}

"N'aw, it's fine, really," he assured. "If there's anything there, I'll probably be able to take out most of the contaminating DNA from the mix."

He insinuated that I hand over the Jaw Fossil and looked over it.

"...Fine specimen you got here," he told me. "So, this is what you want me to turn back into a Pokémon, eh?"

I nodded.

"Welp, I'll get right to it, then. You just hand on out here, and when everything's said and done, you'll have a brand new team member!"

He turned and headed back into the trailer, and I could hear what sounded like machinery of some sort begin to boot up from outside.

{**_...Do you think I ruined the fossil, Rotom?_**}

"_Um, well...I can't say for sure. I mean, like he said, he could probably just remove any of your DNA that he findzzz! If not, then, uh...I don't know what happens, then._"

"Yep. Just as I suspected..." I heard the human say to himself. "Guess I'm gonna have to get that bit outta there."

{_**I won't be surprised if we find out here sooner or later,**_} I chittered anxiously. The thrill of actualy having a Fossil Pokémon on the team had long diminished, and was replaced by the fear of something going wrong and it being my fault.

"Aw, now what's it doin'...? What in the...Oh, no."

That didn't sound good."

"Come on, don't mix in there like that, no, no...N..."

He trailed off, and my heartrate only quickened from there until I heard him speak again.

"...Now wait a minute. Hold on just a second there."

He suddenly sounded much more hopeful. For what reason, though, I had no idea.

"...Holy moly, I don't believe it...It's compatible."

{**_Compatiable?_**} I repeated. {**_What does he mean by that?_**}

"Three toes, carnivorous therapod, reptilian origin with notable avian traits...It...It's a closer match. Closer to the original Pokémon than we ever thought possible...This is incredible. H-how...But she isn't even a Pokémon, so they say. So the Professor says. What is she? Where did she come from? No...WHEN did she come from...?"

I had no idea what was going on in there, but from the sound of his sudden shift in tone, I figured things were going...okay now? He seemed awfully curious about me and what I accidentally did to the restoration process, be it for better or worse...Better, hopefully. He seemed to be looking up.

"Well, wouldja look at that. Welcome back, lil' fella...Ah, I'm seein' a few differences from the ones filled in with Froakie and Tyranitar DNA. You're probably the closest match there is out there...Wait till she sees you."

The next thing I heard was what sounded like a Poké Ball returning a Pokémon, and then the human stepped out of the trailer and approached me again.

"...It's Echo, right?"

I nodded.

"...Mind if I explain a few crazy things?"

I gave him my full attention.

"I take that as a yes...Okay, so the bad news...well...it actually isn't bad once I explain everything, but your DNA contaminated that of the fossil and I was unable to remove it. But that brings me to the good news...No, not news...A discovery, I'd call it. You and the Pokémon from the fossil have a similar genetic makeup. So similar, that the original DNA sort of...absorbed yours right into it. The really strange part is that you're not even a Pokémon, and the original code still remaining...took over your strand and modified it to match the rest of it. It's still one-hundred percent a Pokémon. But the modified strand of DNA it got from you...sort of means it's also part whatever you are."

{_**Really?**_}

"And what's even more amazing? See, when we restore fossil Pokémon, what we get isn't exactly the same as the original that the fossil came from. The DNA is usually degraded to an extent after being exposed to the elements for eons and eons. So we use the DNA from extant Pokemon to fill in the gaps. In this one's case, the Pokémon we usually use are Froakie and Tyranitar...But you? You're closer to the original Pokémon than either of those, so you could say that the one I just restored is the closest we've ever gotten to the original creature."

"_Wow...That'zzz incredible! Izzzn't that incredible, boss!?_"

I was in awe. Who knew that a seemingly horrible mistake could turn into something so amazing?

"Now, how 'bout I show you what you've got for your team now?"

I nodded, eyes still wide, and he released the creature from the Poké Ball, letting it materialize on the ground before me from the glowing red mass.

{_**Holy Miltank...**_}

He was right. I could tell right away that the Pokémon had bits of me in it. It had a similar build, a scaly hide a bit darker than my own and without any stripes, and even the two ridges above its eyes like I had, except they were notably orange, and pointed backwards a lot more than mine. Its arms and hands were a bit small, and only had two fingers each in comparison to my three, and its head was a little blockier than mine. And what was a bit more curious-looking was the short frill of white feathers around its neck; something foreign to any kin of mine I'd ever seen, and looking a bit out-of-place on a creature otherwise covered in scales.

But the real key giveaway were its eyes; bright yellow and with the slit pupil, just like mine were. And I swore that the Pokémon even SMELLED somewhat like me.

It looked up at me curiously. I tilted my head to the left-it did the same. To the right-it followed right along.

{**_What's its name?_**}

"That wound be a Tyrunt. And it looks like the little guy's taking a liking to you...He must be taking in your scent."

Tyrunt sniffed a bit, his yellow eyes looking very intelligent and analytic. Then, after several silent moments, he opened up his mouth to make a noise.

{**_...Alpha?_**}

I gasped, eyes widening bigger than ever before...Did I hear that right?

I chittered in amazement, and he looked up at me again, even more curious.

{**_Is something wrong?_**} he asked. {**_Is there something wrong with me?_**}

"_Wowie! He soundzzz a lot like you, too, boss! Ain't that somethin'?_"

{**_I can understand him, Rotom._**}

"_Wait...What'd you say?_"

{**_Tyrunt...S-say something else._**}

{**_Anything?_**} he gurgled.

{**_...This is amazing._**}

I was talking-not just ordering and encouraging-I was having a FULL ON CONVERSATION WITH A POKEMON. Something I never thought possible except for Rotom. His dialect was extremely similar to mine, with the only differences being that it was notably lower and more growlish, and...perhaps a bit more complex than the original code that me and my sisters used to speak to each other. The only reason mine had advanced so much was that I was matching up certain noises with certain words depending on what they meant. But Tyrunt had just entered the world and was able to communicate in such a manner right away.

I was so astounded that it made my head swim. I was absolutely speechless...

I only spoke again when the Fossil Pokémon at my feet addressed me again.

{_**Are you okay, Alpha? You're not saying much.**_}

{**_Huh? Oh, it's just...I didn't expect to be able to understand you the way I can, is all. It came as quite a shock._**}

"Are you two..." the human whispered, in awe at what he was seeing himself. "...Communicating?"

"_Ah, that'd be the case, mister!_" Rotom buzzed. "Lookzzz like they might really hit it off! Hey, if you want, I can tell you word-for-word what they're saying!"

"No, no, I'd rather not butt too much into their business."

{_**Are there others I should know about? **_} Tyrunt asked. {_**Other packmates?**_}

{_**Yes, there are. Four...no...Five others. See him floating up there? That's Rotom. He's the Alpha-Beta; assistant Alpha, so to speak. He's the only one of us that can speak for us to the humans...Without his help, I probably wouldn't have gotten this far.**_}

"_Howdy there, new teammate!_" he greeted, zipping down closer. "_You're gonna have a blast goin' through he Island Challenge with us! Zzzt!_"

{_**It sounds good,**_} he answered, a smile forming on his rugged jaw. {_**...Alpha. What's my rank?**_}

{_**Well, I suppose that for now, you'd be the Omega...But don't think of it as you being the lowest or weakest among us. Because from what I've seen with all of my other Pokémon, you hold jut as much potential. So instead of calling you by rank, I'll give you a nickname.**_}

{_**A nickname?**_}

{**_Except for only one, all of my Pokémon have nicknames. I won't let you two down. I just need to think of them..._**}

{_**What do you think might suit me?**_} he asked, tilting his head.

{**_...I'm not sure. I'll probably see how you battle first. That might give me some ideas...Let's go do that now._**}

{_**I won't let you down, either, Alpha,**_} Tyrunt growled, following up with a nod as I brought him into the Poké Ball the human gave me for him.

{**_Thank you, sir, for giving us Tyrunt. I can already tell he'll be an amazing part of the team._**}

"That's great to know...You get out there and show 'em what you two are made of."

I nodded one more time, then turned and bolted out of the Fossil Restoration Center, Rotom in tow and Tyrunt's ball tucked away safely in my pack.

"_So, tell me honestly, Echo. When that guy was explaining the whole DNA situation with our new pal to you, did you understand anything he said about genomes and stuff?_"

{**_Honestly, I'm not sure. All I know is that Tyrunt and I are essentially related to one another...And that's all I really need to know. Let's get a move on, now, though. Olivia's waiting for us at Memorial Hill, remember? And I've gotta get just a bit more training squeezed in before then._**}

"_Let's be on our way, then! Say, you know, that'zzz a pretty neat idea he has to make a theme park out of Fossil Pokémon. That place would be packed full of attendeezzz right up from day one! Kzzt! Hope he gets it done and open here soon!_"

{_**Same here. I mean...How could an idea like that possibly go wrong?**_}


	21. Chapter 19: Killer Instinct

"_Diglett'zzz Tunnel again? I dunno, bucko...He's a Rock-Type, and the Diglett are both Ground AND Steel-Types. It might be a bit too much!_"

{_**Don't worry, Rotom. It looks like most of the Diglett have gone back underground, so they shouldn't be much of a problem. And the Zubat we run into should be a cinch for him, right? He's got a MAJOR advantage there.**_}

"_Well, that's true._"

A shrill screech pierced the quiet cave atmosphere, and the image of fluttering membranous wings came into view.

{_**Oh, and here's one of those flying pests now. Tyrunt! Show this Zubat who's boss!**_}

I chucked his Poké Ball, and the scaly brown Pokémon materialized on the ground in front of me, seeming slightly dubious about his opponent.

{_**I don't like the look of this thing,**_} he grunted.

{**_Just do your best against it!_**} I called out to him. {_**You're the one with the double type advantage here, so it should be easy!**_}

{_**Well...Alright,**** then...**_}

He assumed a fighting stance and let out a low, threatening growl at the Poison-Type fluttering before us.

{_**What kind of moves do you know?**_}

{_**Well...I know how to Bite.**_}

{_**Let's start off with that, then!**_}

He nodded back at me, then charged at the Zubat, mouth wide open. Before it could zip out of the way, he clamped down right into the small Pokemon's middle, and it emitted a pained squeak before falling to the ground, completely motionless.

{_**That's how you do it! Excellent, Tyrunt!**_}

{**_Um...What do we do with it?_**}

{**_What do we...do with it?_**} I enerepeated back to him. {**_We just leave it. It should get back up on its own soon and fly away._**}

{**_...I don't know about that, Alpha._**}

I tilted my head in confusion as I peered down at the Zubat.

And I immediately drew my head back when I realized what I was really looking at.

n'A crimson puddle was beginning to form around the Pokémon, spilling from the gaping holes in its caved-in middle, which sat without a rise or a fall in sight.

{**_...Did...Did you...?_**}

"_Ah, yup. It's pushin' up daisies,_" Rotom confirmed. "_Thingzzz like this just happen sometimes..._"

{**_Isn't that what you wanted me to do, though?_**} he asked me.

{**_What, I...No,_**} I answered him, glowering down at the Royal Heir Pokémon a bit. I wasn't happy with what'd happened. {**_What gave you the idea to flat out KILL it? You were supposed to fight it and only make it faint, not do something like that._**}

"_Ah, hey, come on, g-go easy on him, boss, _" my PokéDex buzzed. "_I mean, h-he's only been restored for half an hour. And that was how Tyrunt fed themselves back then! So a Zubat bit the dust...It could have been worse, right? There are too many Zubat in here, anyway! Besides, lotzzz of other Pokémon eat each other, too, remember?_"

{**_...I suppose you have a point, Rotom,_**} I decided. {**_But still. Unless I give you specific instructions to do so, you aren't allowed to kill other Pokémon under any circumstances, Tyrunt. Understood?_**}

{**_But...What are we supposed to eat, then?_**}

{_**There are lots of things we can choose from. You should see what they have at the Thrifty Megamart. It's a paradise of cheap food. And the best part is you don't have to kill anything.**_}

{_**Can we go there after this?**_} he asked.

{_**Ah...Maybe wait until after the Grand Trial. In the mean time, I guess...well...I guess you can eat the Zubat, since it's already dead.**_}

{_**That works alright.**_}

I watched him, a bit apprehensively, as he picked up the dead Pokémon in his jaws, flung it into the air, and then with one quick snap, slid it down his throat. Something panged deep inside of me, despite my initial concern over the situation...Almost telling me that I shouldn't be thinking that way.

_It's food. Don't shun what he was made to do...What YOU were made to do._

The phantom voice in my head caught my attention, my eyes still glued onto Tyrunt eating the unfortunate Zubat. That voice...I wished it would just go away and never come back ever again. It said so many terrible things, and worst of all, it told me to DO those terrible things. Told me it was okay to...

But I'd changed since my days of ripping strange creatures that found their way into the Paddock to shreds. I was a civilized creature, now...Right?

Another voice sounded off, coming from deeper inside than the twisted instinct that spoke to me.

_You can hunt if you so wish. It isn't shameful...As long as you're choose your prey carefully._

I'd dubbed the second voice in my head my voice of reasoning, and I preferred to listen to it over the other. Sometimes it clashed with my instinct, telling me to do the opposite of what it said. Other times it tried to compromise with its adversary, and allow things under certain measures, as it was now.

I considered it a great gift to have the ability to reason with my instinct. And when I found just what or who was behind me gaining it in the first place, I'd be sure to thank them.

{_**Alright, Tyrunt. Let's see if we can find more Zubat. But make sure not to KILL anymore, understand?**_}

{_**Yes...I understand.**_}

"_Say, Echo, bucko. Since we're on the topic of hunting and stuff, I wanted to ask you. What exzzzactly was it like hunting the way you did back in your old home?_" Rotom asked, seeming curious about the whole ordeal.

{**_Well...Usually how it went was that first, something would be let out loose into our Paddock...Most often, it was some sort of pink creature that ran around on all fours and...It made the most awful-sounding squeal. Especially whenever we were right on top of them, and when we caught them...We always thought they were stupid, but looking back, it seems to me that those things were at least smart enough to know just how much danger they were in._**}

"_Oh, wow...How'd you guyzzz do 'em in?_"

{_**We had...a lot of ways of doing it. A bite to the head, a swipe of the hand to the throat, throwing it against the wall...Once it was dead, one of us, usually Beta, used the big claw on her foot to slice it's stomach open. She got to eat first; she was the Betal, after all, and Alpha didn't partake in our hunts...He was a human, so he didn't eat in such a manner.**_}

{_**And then, when Beta was done, what did you and your old pack do?**_} Tyrunt asked, sniffing into a crevice and disturbing another Zubat. I sighed at the question, and answered them grimly.

{_**We...tore whatever was left to shreds like we hadn't eaten in days. Flesh ripped, bones crunched...Blood flew all over the place.**_}

I breathed in through my nostrils, almost able to smell the heavy, metallic scent of the red liquid that spilled from everything me and my sisters ever killed. What was worse was that the mere thought of it made me hungry.

{_**To think,**_} I continued. {**_At one point in my life, I saw that as nothing more than what I had to do to survive...Now that I know I have other options, I can't help but feel shame over it._**}

"_Aw, come on, Echo. Sure, it was pretty brutal, but like I said, it'zzz how the food chain works! In fact, didn't the Professor feed you with big ol' slabzzz of meat for a couple days while we were there? They probably came from something like a Raticate, or something! Bzzt!_"

{_**Did it?**_} I chittered.

"_Yep! Hey, you know, we actually have a lot of Rattata and Raticate in these partzzz! So much that people are actually concerned they'll overpopulate and eat up all the food! Then there wouldn't be enough to go around for other Pokémon, and they would...um...Well, a lot of them would starve to death, probably. The Yungoos and Gumshoos prey on the Rattata themselves, but...only during the day, when there aren't as many around, so it'zzz not quite as affective as people thought it'd be. Call me crazzzy, but I don't think people would mind you helping to pick some of them off! Kzzrt!_"

{_**You...think so?**_}

"_Wouldn't surprise me! _" he exclaimed. "_Hey, next time we see one, let'zzz take it out! I don't like those things much myself, being a Ghost-Type..._"

{**_I'll...think about that,_**} I answered. {**_In the mean time, let's keep it up and battle out way out of the cave._**}

"_Got it! Hey, there's another Zubat right up there!_"

Sure enough, there was, and we engaged in combat. As we continued to fight our way through Diglett's Tunnel, it turned out that Tyrunt did know a few other moves besides Bite; Stomp, Tackle and Dragon Tail to be exact. I was pleasantly surprised at just how powerful his Dragon Tail was compared to his other moves, and it was able to knock out most Zubat in just one hit. The only problem was that with those it didn't one-shot, the Pokémon became disoriented, and flew after us...in the opposite direction we were in. So we got no chance to beat them if they toughed it out. Therefore, we resorted to using the move only after we'd inflicted a bit of damage with his other attacks already, and with every battle, Tyrunt continued to get stronger and more adept to the battlefield.

Zubat weren't the only Pokémon we ran into, however. There were still a few Diglett roaming around, and with Tyrunt having a bad type matchup against them, I opted to return him and use either Red or Dartrix in his place. Being my two strongest Pokémon, they were able to handle them without a sweat. I was pleased by their strength; despite both being part Flying-Type, their Fighting and Grass Type Moves would give Olivia's Rock-Types something to watch out for. Surely at this rate, the next Grand Trial wouldn't prove much of a challenge for us, either, would it?

But a quick stop at the Kokikoni City Pokémon Center would do us some good before the fight; as tough as we'd gotten, I wanted everyone in peak condition, just to prepare for any tricks Kahuna Olivia might have up her sleeve. That, and the fact I needed a drink. And some potions...And maybe some more Pokébeans, if the barista had any for us this time around. My to-do list had suddenly become longer again; at that rate, I wouldn't be battling the Kahuna until the evening.

Not that it was a bad thing, but if I took TOO long, Olivia might head home for the night and I'd have to wait until tomorrow.

{_**Rotom, what time is it?**_}

"_According to my internal clock, it'zzz 5:12 p.m.!_" he buzzed as we turned down Route 9 and headed into the city again. "_Oh, way to time our pit stop; having a battle like the Grand Trial during the hottest part of the day might do a number on ya! Zzt!_"

I nodded, then continued down the road and turned into the Pokémon Center. I knew the drill; heal the team, buying some potions, and order something from the cafe. On paper, it sounded like we'd be in and out, but I wanted to take my time a little, knowing that I'd rather arrive at Memorial Hiil right at dusk when it started to cool down. With that in mind, I stocked up on more Super Potions than I expected to, and then Rotom and I got into a conversation with the barista on how me and the Tyrunt we'd just restored could communicate with each other, and that I was going to see how I could utilize that in the Grand Trial. Upon hearing all of this, I got my wish of having my supply of Pokébeans replenished, since he was just as hopeful that I would complete the trial as I was.

{**_I think I remember someone else saying something about an island where I can collect my own Pokébeans for my Pokémon. Is that the case?_**"

"Oh, the Poké Pelago! Yes, yes, Pokémon stored away in PCs are transported over there, and they enjoy themselves on the islands until their Trainer calls them back out! It's to the far north of Ula'ula Island. You can only get there via flying, though, so it'd be useful to have a glide Pokemon on your ride pager."

{**_I've been using their Charizard more often to get from place to place; I want to be at Memorial Hill at dusk tonight, so I couldn't spend too much time walking around in the heat of the day...I might see if I can restock there tomorrow, then. With six Pokémon on the team, I'm going to need a lot._**}

"Yep! Frankly, I can't wait until then! Bzzt!"

{_**I can see that...**_} I chittered. {_**Well...It's about time to head down there. Thanks for the drink and beans, mister.**_}

"Good luck against the Kahuna!"

With that, I headed out the door, turned back south and trotted along the side of the road, leaving Konikoni City once more and taking Route 9 towards Memorial Hill. As we headed towards a curve and into a valleyed section of the road, I caught sight of a maze of hedges up ahead. And when we entered into the maze, I saw that the path was lined with smoothly cut stones in several places, decorated with intricate engravings and flowers placed in front of some of them. They each had someone's name written into them as well.

{**_So, Rotom. Why exactly is it called Memorial Hill? What are we remembering?_**}

"_Well, Memorial Hill is a cemetery! The old, mighty families of Alola were buried here when they died, so it'zzz sort of a historical landmark, you know?_"

{**_Oh...Is...That what you do with friends and family that've died?_**}

"_Sure is! And there's another cemetery back on Melemele Island, too! A lot of Ghost-Type Pokémon tend to linger around places like those...Probably becauzzze they like to give people the spooks, and graveyards sometimes give off that creepy aura. Especially during the night...Guess it's a good thing Tyrunt knows Bite! That'll teach any Ghost-Type that triezzz to tangle with us, won't it?_"

{**_I would think...Erm...Aren't you a Ghost-Type too, Rotom?_**}

"_Well, yeah, but I'm not one to find enjoyment in scarin' people out of their skin. Other Rotom, though? Ones in the wild? I hear they like to sneak into houses, possess whatever machine they can on the sly and play poltergeist! Soundzzz freaky, huh?_"

"**_Eesh…_**" I hissed, shuddering a bit at the idea of such a thing. {_**But you're different from them. You wouldn't do that, would you?**_}

"_Never to you, bucko! Now, an unsuspecting Team Skull grunt on the other hand..._"

{**_Ha! That'd be fun to watch!_**}

"_No kidding! Hey, it'd teach 'em for threatening to give me a bath with a toaster! I might be an Electric-Type, but this Dex went in that water, I'd be fried with it! Hey, maybe I should possess their toaster! Then they might-_"

{**_Be here right now._**}

"_Huh?_"

We'd just gotten out of the cemetery. Blocking the path were two of those familiar-looking skull grunts, and it looked like two other people had beaten us to a confrontation with them. By the looks of their own uniforms, I guessed that they were members of the Aether Foundation; that gave me some reassurance, at least.

But even so, it didn't look like they'd be giving up the Pokémon without some convincing.

"Team Skull! For the last time! Give back that Pokémon!" the first demanded. The squabble must have been going on for a bit before I arrived.

"_Lo-o-ow...?_"

When I tilted my head to see where the noise came from, I realized that the grunts had a hostage in the form of a Slowpoke: I recognized it by the look of its tail, which I'd seen all over the place in the Thrifty Megamart.

"Hey! Yo! Don't gimmie trouble! I'll reduce you to rubble!"

"That's right! We gon' sell this Pokémon and make bank, and we won't make no bones about it! You want it back? You're gonna have to get past us to take it!"

The one Aether employee was starting to look nervous about the situation, and the other turned to face her.

"Stand firm! Think of what the president would say!" he ordered. He had a bit of a different styled uniform, accented with green, and looking more slick and business-made than meant for field work.

"That's what you always say, Chief, but you don't lift a finger yourself!" she snapped back, seemingly annoyed with him.

"You haven't a clue what you're talking about. Why, I am the Aether Foundation's last line of defense! What would become of it if something were to happen to me now?"

His somewhat snobbish aura even captured the attention of Team Skull. They hadn't said anything themselves, but the look in their eyes told how unamused they were better than any words could...And frankly, that was the one thing I'd ever agreed with them on.

The 'Chief' turned slightly, seeming to think for a moment about what he should do, and was quick to spot me out of the corner of his eye. He nearly jumped right out of his lab coat upon seeing me, and once he did that, everyone started looking in my direction.

"Aw, naw..." one of the Team Skull grunts muttered. "That's Scarface, ain't it?"

"Looks it, from what I heard. Hear 'bout what she did to Grunt?"

"Which Grunt?"

"The grunt with the marks on his face!"

"What'd she do?"

"She gave him the marks, you bonehead!"

"Oh..."

"You know what this creature is?" the Chief asked them.

"_Oh! Allow me to explain, Aether Foundation members!_" Rotom stepped in. "_Believe it or not, she'zzz a trial-goer! We were just on our way to meet Kahuna Olivia now! Word about us has been spreadin' around the islandzzz lately, so a lot of people already know about her, but if you wanna know more, Professor Kukui is your best bet!_"

"Ah...And how strong is your team, Miss, eh...What's her name?"

"Scarface," the other grunt chimed in without skipping a beat.

"_Would you two shut up for once!? It's Echo! Not Scarface! Get your facts straight! Bzzz...!_"

Rotom slid away into my bag for safety before the hooligans had a chance to threaten him again like the last time.

"Echo, you say...Ah...Well, then!" he perked up, regaining his composure. "If you're a trial-goer, and you've made it to Akala Island, that must mean you have a fairly strong team on hand! I ask that you fight in my stead and rout these Team Skull ruffians. I will bestow honor upon you, if you do!"

{_**I don't know why these thugs aren't afraid of me by now,**_} I growled. {_**...I intend to change that, though.**_}

"Ready to know what defeat tastes like?" the first grunt challenged, pulling a Poké Ball out. "I was born ready for this, yo! Raticate! Show 'em!"

He tossed his fighter out into the field, and upon seeing the Raticate, I cringed. It had a savage glimmer in its eye, but was worn and battered from previous battles, not to mention quite a bit older-looking than most of the other Pokémon I'd seen in the wild so far. It was safe to assume that its Trainer was not taking care of it right, but knowing Team Skull, I wasn't that surprised.

"So who you gonna send out to get beat?"

{**_The newest member of the team. He needs to practice showing you guys a lesson, anyways._**}

With that, I tossed the capsule into the air.

{**_Tyrunt! Let's go!_**}

The ball opened, and the Royal Heir Pokémon materialized on the ground before its opponent, letting out a sharp snarl of a battle cry.

"Raticate! Take 'em down with Pursuit!"

The Pokémon huffed, then got down on all fours, pursuing its target at a not-so-impressive speed. I wasn't really sure if it was it's natural weight dragging it down or the fact that it barely had the strength left to fight.

It would make it an easy opponent, at least.

{**_Try your Dragon Tail on it, Tyrunt!_**}

He turned and readied his tail, and it started to glow purple as he drew it back. The enemy Pokémon was nearly upon him when he sent it flying into its face, and upon the impact, the Raticate was thrown in the opposite direction, and it rolled to a half on the ground, having been knocked right off its feet.

It got back up within seconds, but it was obvious that it was struggling, seeing the condition it was in.

"Come on, Raticate! Don't be such a bag o' bones!"

"_Rrrr..._" it growled back at him.

"Don't just stand there! Take 'em down with Tackle!"

It started running at us again, and Tyrunt lowered his head as the Raticate approached, readying a headbutt.

{_**Get up to speed, Tyrunt! Counter-Tackle! You're head is harder!**_}

At my command, the fossil Pokémon began to charge at his opponent head on. Each of them were readying a collision against the other, skulls pointed forward, and finally, the two fighters made contact.

There was an echoing _CRACK_, and with a flick of his head after the initial hit, Tyrunt flung the enemy to the side. The Raticate rolled limply across the field before tumbling to a halt, and once it did, it lay there, motionless except for the shallow rise and fall of its middle as it struggled even to breathe.

It tried to lift itself back onto its feet, a dazed, empty look in its eye, and it scanned the battlefield looking for its attacker. Despite Tyrunt standing merely a couple yards away from it, the Raticate couldn't seem to spot him. Had its head been injured to the point of disorientation?

Finally seeming to acknowledge its opponent, the black and tan Pokémon fell on all fours and stumbled forward, though it seemed to get weaker and weaker every second.

_It's on its way out. Finish the job._

I tensed. No. Not that again. I shook my head in denial of what it was telling me to do. I couldn't do that. It had a Trainer, anyways. I couldn't...It was...

As the approaching Raticate became even slower, breathed heavier and grew more and more unsteady, I realized that it was beyond saving. Soon, it would fall over one last time, and never stand again. It was only a matter of time before...

_No...It's not as wrong as you might think. Don't let it suffer anymore than it has to._

My voice of reasoning, once again, agreed with the primitive instinct buried beneath it. I took a deep breath, and let it out as a shaky gurgle, and I called out to the fossil Pokémon still awaiting my next command.

{_**Tyrunt…**_} I chittered, emitting one more sigh before I gave out the final order.

{_**...Use Bite.**_}

He nodded grimly in understanding, then approached the Raticate, locking eyes with it for just a moment as he drew near and placed his powerful jaws on its head.

{**_...I'm sorry it had to be like this,_**} I heard him growl.

The Mouse Pokémon let out a sigh of its own, almost sounding content as Tyrunt steadied it with his foot and jerked his head off to the side. There was another crack, and the Raticate twitched its toes ever so slightly before falling completely still.

Everyone stared at the scene playing out on the battleground. The grunts, the Aether employees, me myself...None of us really wanted to believe what'd happened, but we'd all witnessed it with our own eyes. There was no denying it.

That Raticate was dead.

Its owner was staring directly at me now, eyes wide and his form as still as stone. I simply shook my head at him, and he staggered backwards.

"Yo...You don't mess around, do you?"

"Dude, we ain't got no more Pokémon. She could do THAT to US with her OWN snappy jaws if she wanted, if her Tyrunt can do that!"

"Screw it, then! Take your dumb Slowpoke! Good luck and good riddance! Come on, let's scram!"

The two grunts scrambled past us and disappeared into Memorial Hill, thoroughly intimidated. The owner of the Raticate didn't even bother paying respects to it; he simply abandoned the dead body where it sat.

The Slowpoke that'd been behind them wasn't really aware of the situation at hand, but Tyrunt approached it anyways, nudging it and examining it with his keen nose just to make sure the Team Skull grunts hadn't done anything to harm it, either.

He nodded back to me, letting me know that it was fine. And to show the (still shocked) members of the Aether Foundation that I meant no harm to this Pokémon, I went over myself, carefully scooped it up in my clawed hands and brought it over to them, passing it on to the field employee.

"Uh...Thank you. For that," she told me, still a bit shaken. "Yeah...Those Team Skull thugs have been after Slowpoke a lot lately. They...cut off their tails and sell them to try and make a profit, since they're so valuable. It doesn't really hurt them, and they grow back quickly, but...It's still not right to just hack them off without any consideration for the Pokemon. Especially with wild Slowpoke like this one, since they need their tails to fish."

{**_...You're absolutely right,_**} I nodded, Rotom re-emerging from my pack to translate for me. {**_Team Skull couldn't care less about the wellbeing of the Pokémon they train. Or steal, in Slowpoke's case. It seems like they have a history of it, judging by..._**}

The two of us looked back at the Raticate corpse on the ground, then turned back to face each other. The human sighed, the expression on her face softening.

"I can tell, you know. You didn't really want that to happen, and nobody really expected it until it was too late...And I watched you out there. If you think you went too hard on the Pokémon, I can tell you now, it's not your fault. Really, it isn't. Tyrunt are only so strong, and Tackle isn't a very powerful move anyways. If that Raticate had been well looked after, then you...You wouldn't have had to do what you did. And I'm sorry it came down to that."

{_**In all honesty,**_} I chattered. {_**I'm at least glad that it's not suffering anymore. Not under Team Skull or from the head wound.**_}

"Yeah...In this line of work, it's not uncommon to see neglected Pokémon having to be put down."

"Hmm...There are too many Raticate on these islands anyways," the Chief remarked, not seeming to care much for the deceased Raticate himself. "And the same goes to their pre-evolved forms...Overpopulation can be just as much a problem as dwindling population, you know...And maybe what you did will finally teach those ruffians to finally wizen up a bit. As for you...Despite the performance I just beheld, it seems to me that you are a very skilled Trainer who cares deeply for other Pokémon."

"_'Other?' Uh, pardon us, mister, but she'zzz not a Pokémon herself._"

He rose an eyebrow at Rotom's claim.

"...No? Well, then what on earth is she?"

"_Something called a 'Velociraptor,' she says. Like I said, the Professor can tell you more about it! He's the one who found and studied her in the first place, after all! Bzzrt!_"

"Professur Kukui, ah, yes...But anyways, where was I...? Oh. As I was saying, Miss, erm...'Echo,' if I remember right?"

I nodded.

"Well, then. For your vigilance in the face of danger, I should like to reward you. When you complete your Grand Trial, meet me at Hano Grand Resort in Heahea City. From there, we will board a ferry to the Aether Foundation Headquarters, and I shall grant you a tour. Sound like a plan?"

{_**The Aether Foundation Headquarters, you say...? I might be interested. You do help Pokémon, after all, and that's one thing I can get on board with.**_}

"Excellent. See you there. Come along, Intern! We have things to do!"

"You mean_ I_ have things to do..."

The Chief simply rolled his eyes and headed off, the employee following not far behind.

"Hey, thanks again for the help. Good luck with the Grand Trial! Although, I might, ah...do something about that Raticate. I'd take care of it myself, but it seems like Mr. High-and-Mighty Branch Chief has other plans for me."

{_**I'll think of something.**_} I assured her. {_**Good luck with the Branch Chief.**_}

"Heh, yeah...See you, then."

She ran to catch up with the Branch Chief, who was already halfway through Memorial Hill, seemingly unaware that his underling was not following him.

"_Well, that wazzz certainly something, _" my PokéDex buzzed. "_Your thoughts? _"

{**_The intern was okay, but I don't really know about that Branch Chief guy,_**} I remarked, sending a bit of a glare in his direction. {**_There's something about him that just rubs me the wrong way._**}

"_Yeah, I know what you mean. And if what she was saying about him not actually doing anything to help anyone is true, then he must be pretty stuck up._"

{**_It seems that way...Now. The Raticate. Should we bury it in the cemetery, Rotom?_**}

"_I don't think people are being buried in Memorial Hill anymore. And another thing; it looks like Tyrunt's thought of another idea!_"

{**_What? What do you-_**}

I turned back, and watched as the Fossil Pokémon rose his head. Both the Raticate's side and Tyrunt's jaws were spattered with blood.

{_**...Are you EATING it, Tyrunt?**_}

{_**Yes...What about the conversation we all had in Diglett's Tunnel?**_}

{_**Yeah, I remember, but...I was talking about WILD Rattata and Raticate. This one was TRAINED. Eating a trained Pokémon isn't right, is it Rotom?**_}

"_Well...I dunno, boss. Once their both dead, a Pokémon that was trained izzzn't gonna be much different from a wild one. Dead is dead. And that Team Skull grunt isn't coming back for it anywayzzz, so...Dig in, I guess!_"

{_**Well...It'll fill us up and energize us for the next battle, I guess. And didn't you say it was Raticate meat that the Professor gave me in the Lab?**_}

"_That'zzz what I said!_"

{_**...Alright, then.**_}

I shrugged, then approached the already partially-eaten Pokémon, steadied it with my foot and tore a chunk out of its side. I smacked my lips a bit at the sensation of the creature's fur in my mouth; back when we lived in the Paddock, my sisters and I had always eaten the fur on a creature, be it fine or thick. But having not eaten anything that still had fur on it since my arrival in Alola, it looked like it would take some getting used to again.

"_So, I'm actually kinda curious myself...What's it taste like?_"

{_**Hm...I'm only now realizing how fatty this is. The actual meat doesn't taste half bad, though.**_}

"_A Rattata would probably be a bit leaner, since they don't sit around their nest all day. Keep that in mind when you start lookin' for stuff in the wild!_"

{_**Why do you ask? Did you want any?**_}

I tore a small chunk from the Pokémon's ribcage and held it out towards him, but he floated backwards away from it.

"_Ah, no, that'zzz fine,_" he assured. "_I'll stick to the beans._"

{**_Once we're done here, I'll have to get those out,_**} I growled. {**_...I hope nobody we know sees what's going on here. They'd probably get the wrong-_**}

"Um...Is this a bad time?"

I rose my head, and there stood none other than...

"_Uh-oh._"

{**_Oh, no..._**} I chattered. {**_I just...It...It's not what it looks like, Hau._**}

He continued to stare at our meal, eyes wide.

{**_...Okay, it's exactly what it looks like. But it was a mercy kill! I swear! Besides! The Professor! Gave me Raticate! While I was at the Lab! And! And...Ah..._**}

I gave up there, certain that Hau wasn't at all convinced. To my good fortune, however...

"Uh...Well, I mean...You can't live of malasadas, I guess. And the Professor feeds a lot of Pokémon he looks after Raticate meat, so..."

He shrugged.

"Guess I'm not one to judge, you know, bud?"

"**_Phew..._**" I breathed. {**_For a moment there, I thought you were gonna freak out._**}

"Well, I almost did," he admitted. "But, like, that's a Raticate. Not a person. No way you'd ever do that to me or Lillie, I know that much."

{**_Certainly not. Ah...What brings you this way, Hau? Off to battle the Kahuna, too?_**}

"Actually I heard you were headin' this way over at Olivia's shop, so I wanted to watch the fight! See what you and your Pokémon have got up your sleeves! I probably won't battle her myself until tomorrow morning, so if I can take a few notes while I'm at it, that oughta be good!"

{_**Not a problem with me. Rotom. You still have the time?**_}

"_The time right now izzz 6:25: p.m.! And according to my internal thermometer, the temperature's starting to drop!_"

{_**Perfect. We'll be on our way, Hau.**_}

"Awesome!"

{**_Right after we finish dinner._**}

"Oh."

He deflated slightly.

"Eh...You guys are halfway done anyways, so that's fine."

"_Hey, Echo. Make sure you clean all the blood off your face before we head out. If the Island Kahuna saw you like that, she'd probably freak out! Kzzt!_"

{**_Noted...But if we walked up to a couple Team Skull grunts like this..._**}

"_Ha! We're terrible, aren't we?_"

{**_To Team Skull? Wonderfully terrible. But to our friends? I'd rather be terribly wonderful._**}

"_Heh heh...Well put, there, boss._"

* * *

**_A/N: _Wow...That took a dark turn, didn't it? Darker than I actually expected it to be...**

**Sorry this took so long; I've been working not only on_ Time Heals All Wounds_ more lately, but also have a few potential side projects in the making(and I've also been getting back into _Jurassic World: The Game_ and drawing more, so I haven't been writing quite as much in general.)**

**I think one of the reasons I got stuck on this one so often was because I wasn't sure what direction I really wanted it to go in, but I finally figured out how I wanted it to be: Super dark! XD**

**And since the next chapter is the Grand Trial and a bit easier to write out, it probably won't take as long. See you then! :D**


	22. Chapter 20: Setbacks

{_**One more time! Hit 'em with Aerial Ace!**_}

It turned out there were a couple of Trainers past the graveyard, and I found myself battling one that'd spotted me in the field, and he sent out a sturdy Hariyama as his fighter. Little did he know that I had two Flying-Types to use against him, and the next thing we each knew, Red had struck once, then twice, and the enemy fell to the ground in defeat. The opposing Trainer returned his Pokemon, then congratulated my win.

"Ha! You played that battle well! GG for short!" he told me. "Though if you're on your way to battle the Island Kahuna, I advise that you be careful when using Flying-Types against her. You can hit her Rock-Types with super-effective moves, but they can do the same right back! And they're pretty burly to boot!"

{_**I have that kept in mind,**_} I assured him. {_**I do have an Eevee and a Tyrunt on the team too, so they should balance things out well enough.**_}

"Tyrunt, you say? Well, well...Fighting Rock with Rock. Sounds like a battle! Good luck to you!"

I nodded, then weaved back through the beaten path among the grass to where Hau had battled someone else. Judging by the huge grin on his face, I guessed that it'd gone pretty well for him, too.

{_**Did you win?**_}

"Heck yeah, I did! That guy had a pretty scary-lookin' Gyarados, but all Raichu had to give 'em was one Thunderbolt and it was down! And his Staryu was no problem...We weren't even scratched!"

{_**Raichu...?**_}

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Didn't tell you 'bout that, yet," he remembered, extracting a Poké Ball. "Well, I'm about to! Come on back out, Raichu!"

His Pokémon materialized before him, and it turned out to be, quite obviously, the evolved form of his Pikachu. It hovered in midair, sitting on the flat end of its tail and staring up at me with its round, blue eyes. It'd come a long way from the little Pichu I'd first encountered it as.

"_Chu..._" it squeaked, clenching its tiny fists in attempt to impress me.

{**_Yeah, you remember me, don't you?_**} I snickered. {**_But you're not so scared of me anymore, huh?_**}

"N'aw, he ain't," Hau nodded. "Hey. You wanna see something awesome?"

I nodded, and Hau bent down to face the Electric-Type Pokémon, reached his hand out and gently rubbed one of its bright yellow cheeks.

Instantly, I detected a scent coming from that spot. I stepped closer to better analyze the aroma, and it turned out to smell something like...

{_**...How many Malasadas have you been feeding your Pokémon, Hau?**_}

He snorted, then chuckled.

"That's not malasada you're smellin', pal," he corrected lightly, still overcome with giggles. "That's a pile of maple syrup-drenched buttermilk batter that's been pan-fried to perfection and stacked as high as Mount Lanakila, is what it is."

{_**It's what...?**_}

"You don't know what pancakes are!? Aw, man, you're missing out! Hey, let's all go out for breakfast one of these days and I'll show ya! They're not exactly malasadas, but they come in a close second for me!"

{_**Sounds delicious...**_} I nodded, intrigued by the idea. {_**Tomorrow, maybe?**_}

"Sure thing! I got time!"

{**_How about Lillie?_**}

"The more the merrier!" he answered as we turned and headed up the path. "You know I was about to suggest that myself!"

{**_Speaking of which...When did you see her last?_**}

"Oh, I met up with her at the Dimensional Research Lab earlier today! She and the Professors told me about the whole thing with the wormholes, and the DNA analysis stuff, and that freaky-looking thing you went up against from some other world...MAN. That thing's not somethin' I'd wanna run into."

{**_No doubt about that,_**} I agreed grimly. {**_It'd snap you up like a malasada...I should know._**}

"Yeah...Well, we don't have to worry about it here in Alola, so that's good!"

{**_Unless the Ultra Wormhole reopens and it finds its way through..._**}

"Oh...Well, I...didn't consider that. Huh..." Hau realized. "...But if something rescued you from it and brought you here, then I doubt it'd decide to pull something like that, you know what I'm saying? Yeah...You don't need to worry about it anymore. Trust me, alright?"

{_**Well...If there's anyone I can trust, I know one of them is you.**_}

"Ah, come on, I'm goin' red, buddy! Hey, let's step it up! It's the Grand Trial or-"

"So...You're the one that Gladion was talking about, are you?"

"...Bust?"

Someone spoke from not far behind us. We turned around to face a...pretty strange-looking human. Female, wore lots of pink and black, didn't seem like the friendly type. And judging by the skull-shaped caps on either side of her head, that signified that she was...

"Hmph...You don't look so scary to me. 'Specially seeing who you decide to hang out with."

{_**Are you KIDDING me...**_} I snarled, not at all happy with the situation.

"Cut the growling stuff," she snapped, rolling her eyes as she approached us. "...I'm Plumeria. And it's my job to keep Team Skull together. I'm like a big sister of some sort to all these numbskulls. They're plain stupid, most of them...But apparently, we both agree that some dummies can be cute in their dumbness."

"You callin' me stupid?" Hau insinuated, not looking very amused either. I shot Plumeria a glare and curled my lips a bit to expose my teeth.

"Yeah, you know what I mean," she answered, standing her ground. "You don't want me picking on your dumb brother...So you can imagine that you picking on all my dumb brothers and sisters is really annoying me, then, right?"

{_**In case you didn't know,**_} I chattered, keeping the growl in my tone as Rotom translated, staying behind me all the while. {_**You thugs were the ones bothering other people, and us 'picking on your brothers and sisters' is just us defending ourselves and our Pokémon. Apparently, you're not much brighter than them.**_}

"And apparently, you have the nerve to kill and eat one of my brother's Raticate!"

That was what set it off.

{**_It was SUFFERING! And the head injury it sustained from a Tackle attack-just a TACKLE ATTACK!-would have killed it anyways because it was in such horrible condition! Maybe it would still be alive if you low lives actually TOOK CARE of your Pokemon instead of letting them get to that point! Why do you think we don't want you making off with our teammates!?_**}

"Wait, hold up," Hau interrupted, looking at me strangely. "...That Raticate was trained?"

{**_...Under a Team Skull Grunt that didn't care for it right, yes,_**} I answered him.

He opened his mouth, as though to say something else, but no noise came out, and he simply cast me another odd look before backing away from the two of us.

"See? Even Mr. Kahuna Hala's grandson ain't too keen on that. It's messed up! And now I'm gonna mess YOU up!"

She showed off a Poké Ball and tossed it upwards.

"Golbat! Teach 'em a lesson!"

The creature emerged; an evolved form of Zubat, it appeared to be. Same colors and similar build, but unlike Zubat, it possessed eyes, and it was a LOT bigger.

But I had someone who knew how to handle those just fine, and a bit of an extra challenge would do him some good. I chittered to Rotom to take cover in my bag again, and the minute he went inside, I pulled out my own Poké Ball and threw it in the air.

{**_Tyrunt! Start this off with Tackle!_**}

I called out the Fossil Pokemon, and he growled a bit at his adversary before going right in for the attack.

One of the advantages I found with not being able to speak like the humans was that they were unable to understand the orders I gave my Pokémon, and therefore wouldn't know what I told them to do until it'd already been done.

"Oh, no ya don't! Golbat! Fly out of reach and Confuse Ray that thing!"

The Flying-Type cried out eerily, and a strange-looking series of lights emitted from its gaping mouth, surrounding Tyrunt and twirling around him like a swarm of mosquitoes.

When they finally faded, the Royal Heir Pokémon didn't look so concentrated anymore. He kept running, though, and was now heading not for the Golbat, but rather the one COMMANDING it. Plumeria leapt out of the way just before it collided with her legs, though, and Tyrunt finally slowed once he passed her, then turned around and shook his head, looking very disoriented.

{_**Alpha?**_} he called. {_**Wha...Where did everyone go? What's going on?**_}

Something was wrong with him, I knew there was. And it probably had something to do with the Golbat's Confuse Ray attack.

{_**Snap out of it!**_} I crawed. {_**Shake that confusion off!**_}

He shook his head from side to side vigorously as he tried to clear the fog in his brain. He was vulnerable in that state, though, and Plumeria took advantage of it.

"Now we got him! Poison Fang!"

The Golbat dove in for the attack, fangs bared and excreting a sickly purple substance, ready to attack. But it was at that moment that Tyrunt finally regained his concentration, and looked up just in time to spy his target approaching.

{**_Counter it with Bite! Quick!_**}

The Fossil Pokemon growled in understanding, then opened his jaws, leapt up at the enemy and clamped down on its OWN open mouth, locking jaws with it. The Golbat shrieked at the sudden attack, and its cries only got louder when Tyrunt violently shook it from side to side then threw it across the battlefield. The enemy Pokemon tumbled over the ground towards its Trainer, seemingly defeated, but as soon as it stopped rolling, it got right back up.

This Team Skull Pokémon seemed to be in better shape than the Raticate from earlier, so I was at least hoping the same thing wouldn't happen again.

The Golbat flapped its wings and became airborne again, eyeing Tyrunt with an angry glare.

"Try again, Golbat! Confuse Ray!"

{_**Dodge and try to lure it in from above!**_}

Tyrunt was able to duck and tumble beneath the Confuse Ray attack this time, and as he approached the spot beneath where the opposing Pokémon was hovering, he barked at it, calling for it to come closer.

{_**Come on!**_} he teased. {_**Too scared to fight me up close!? Coward! I dare you to battle me face-to-face!**_}

"He's askin' for it, Golbat! Wing Attack!"

It stooped down and started to fly at my Pokémon again. But they had no idea what we were up to.

{_**Alright, Tyrunt! Stomp! Get it back on the ground!**_}

He jumped up right in the nick of time, and once the Golbat was right underneath him, he pushed both of his feet down overtop its head, putting all of his weight onto it. Again, the enemy shrieked, and Tyrunt snarled at it from above.

{**_Excellent! Now, finish it off with Dragon Tail!_**}

He got off his opponent, letting it stand back up...

But the minute it got back onto its feet, Tyrunt spun around and whammed it with his tail, sending it hurdling across the field and falling flat on its back.

And this time, it wasn't getting back up.

Plumeria let out a frustrated growl as she returned her fainted Pokémon.

"So, you've got a type advantage against me..." she sneered. "But I'm not the only one with a bunch of trick up her sleeve!"

She pulled out her second fighter.

"Salandit! Let's go!"

The Toxic Lizard Pokémon emerged, and let out a threatening hiss upon entering the battlefield. I scoffed at the sight of it, though; my Salandit had not only looked five times prettier than that one, but she had also fully evolved into a Salazzle by then.

And Tyrunt STILL had the type advantage.

{_**You still game, Tyrunt?**_}

He nodded back to me with a smile on his face, then faced off against the enemy.

"Poison Gas!"

{**_Hold your breath and go in for Dragon Tail, Tyrunt!_**}

He took a deep breath and ran right through the cloud of gas the enemy shot our way, and ran right out of it unscathed as he continued to charge. his tail aglow.

"Dragon Rage, hurry!"

{_**Duck and tumble!**_}

He tried to dodge the attack, but at that point, he was too close, and the next thing I knew, he was engulfed in the purple energy, and it was the next moment that it exploded in his face, throwing him off to the side. He tore up the grass as he slid across the battleground, looking like he'd taken a beating.

He got back up, though, and gave the Salandit his best roar. It wasn't much more than a long bark, but it was a battle cry, nonetheless.

"Nice one! One or two more oughta do it! Fire up another Dragon Rage, Salandit!"

It trilled menacingly as it fired up its second attack, but I was ready to counter it.

{**_Wait for my signal, Tyrunt! Start running!_**}

{_**On it!**_}

He started his approach again, and Plumeria's Salandit continued to fire up its Dragon Rage. And once Tyrunt was halfway there...

"Now! Fire!"

{**_Jump to the side!_**}

The ball of energy flew out of its mouth and hurdled towards Tyrunt, but the Fossil Pokémon was able to skid to a halt, kick his leg and dart off to the right of the attack just as it whizzed past him, leaving both Plumeria and Salandit surprised.

{_**Now keep running and go in for the Tackle!**_}

He snarled again, and before the enemy had a chance to fire up another Dragon Rage, he charged up his speed and rammed head-first into the opposing Pokémon, then swung his head and threw it off to the side. It crashed into the side of one of the cliffs we were by and slid down to the ground, landing on its stomach. It started to get back up, but it was obviously struggling. We just needed to give it one more push.

{**_Now use one more Bite before it can get back up!_**}

"Flame Burst! Maybe we can burn it!"

The enemy Salandit fired up flames in its mouth and shot them at Tyrunt as he approached. But the Rock and Dragon-Type Pokemon was barely even phased by the collision.

And before it had a chance to try and burn him again, he was already on top of it, and he clamped his jaws down on the Pokémon's middle, shook it wildly then flung it back towards its Trainer. The Salandit lay where it landed, motionless except for the rise and fall of its middle.

It was still alive, but there was no way it was getting back up to battle.

We'd won.

{**_Nice goin' out there, Tyrunt! You really whooped that Salandit!_**}

{**_I did?_**} he grinned. {**_I-I mean, ah...Of course I did! I learned from the best, after all!_**}

"_Oh! Did we win, boss?_" Rotom asked, peeking out of my bag. I gave him a nod, and he floated back out, taking a look at the unconscious Salandit on the ground before us.

"_Ha! You sure showed them how it'zzz done! Heh...That Salandit's still alive, though, right?_"

{_**Oh, don't worry about it. It should be fine as long as this one at least has the decency to take it to the Pokémon Center.**_}

Plumeria huffed, then returned her Salandit to its capsule.

{**_So what were you saying about messing me up?_**} I teased, Rotom translating for me again.

"Hmph...So you are as strong as he said you were," she acknowledged. "Not too shabby, I'll give you that...But mess with anyone on Team Skull again, and I won't hesitate to show you how serious I can get."

{_**Oooh, I'm terrified. I might have to use THREE Pokémon instead of ONE next time, and I'll have to use one that'd evolved at least once already. I couldn't possibly imagine anything worse than that.**_}

"You're not the only one who knows how to train and evolve Pokémon, dumbass! You know how to kill and eat them, though..."

{**_And you know how to steal Slowpoke and cut off their tails. As if that's much better._**}

"We need the money those tails are worth!"

{**_Because you're too lazy to earn it the right way like the rest of us do?_**}

"OH. So that's how you wanna play, huh, Ms. Moral-high-ground? Well, I'll have you know that-"

"Hey, hey, guys, guys! Come on, guys..." Hau interrupted, stepping between us a bit. "This argument's gettin' too heated. Let's chill out, huh? Besides, we-"

"Did I ask for YOUR opinion?" she snapped at him. "Why don't you step back down into place like the pushover you are? You're the Melemele Kahuna's grandson, and you're the weakest simpleton I've ever seen in my life...Shameful. I can imagine how disappointed Hala must be in you...And the only reason he doesn't say it outright is probably because he pities you so much. Pities what you turned out to be...And this thing, whatever she is, she probably does, too."

I expected him to laugh it off and call her crazy for ever thinking such a thing, and the same thing was on my mind...But Hau just fell completely silent then and there.

He just looked at me, then at Plumeria, then back to me again. His head lowered, and he backed away from the two of us, then turned away and wandered back into the Akala outskirts, looking like his heart had just been torn clean in half.

I turned back to face Plumeria, and frankly, I was speechless myself with what she'd said to him...But she didn't seem to think much of it.

"What? You know it's true as much as I do," she told me. "And if you don't like, why don't you scratch me like you did my brother on Melemele? Or did he rub off on you so much that you ain't got any nerve yourself anymore?"

That was what did it.

"And while you're at it, maybe you-"

**_WHAM_**

All I had to do was spin around, and not only did she go quiet herself, but she was also knocked clean off her feet. I didn't use my claws on her, contrary to what she thought I would do, but being hit by a sturdy tail right across the middle didn't feel much better, by what it seemed.

She groaned as she sat back up, looking like the wind had been knocked out of her for a moment, too. But I took no pity on her. And I made sure to get my point across, baring my teeth again and letting an angry hiss stream out from between them as I lowered my head to face her. I was able to deal with them threatening to take Hau's Pokémon, and even threatening to beat him to a pulp, since they did that to everyone.

But a personal attack? Especially when everything she said was completely false? That wasn't something I was going to let slide so easily.

{_**...Go apologize to my friend,**_} I snarled, Rotom doing his best to incorporate my angry tone in his own voice. {**_Then get out of here and never bother us again. And SHUT UP about your 'brothers and sisters' that cause nothing but trouble for everyone around here. Hau is a thousand times the brother to me than any of them could ever be to you, and you don't even realize it...That's what's s_****_hameful._**}

"_Psh,_" she scoffed, a smug grin on her face. "I'm not as easy to sway as the grunts, you know. Try and make me!"

{_**Alright.**_}

**_WHACK_**

"OW!"

That time, she was struck square in the face.

{_**Are you swayed yet? Or should I call out my Hawlucha and have him practice his Karate Chop for the Grand Trial?**_}

"...Fine," she finally caved. "But only because you're so insistent!"

I scanned around for Hau, and finally spotted him heading south, about to make the turn back onto the coastal cliff. I barked to get his attention, and he slowly came to a stop, stood there for a moment, and then looked back at the two of us. I called out a couple more times, and he started to head back towards us, his head hung all the while.

...He seemed so lifeless compared to what he'd been just a few minutes ago. He almost looked ill.

{**_...Well?_**}

She rolled her eyes and faced Hau, still looking pretty displeased by the situation she was in.

"Alright, alright...Sorry for bein' a jerk, or whatever," she spat, turning back to me. "...Happy now, Scarface?"

**_WHAP_**

"AUGH, you son of a...WHAT'S THE PROBLEM NOW!?"

{_**Go. Get out of here.**_}

"Jeez...Who's idea was it to let you out on the streets, huh?"

{**_NOW!_**}

"Alright, alright already!" she replied as she headed back towards Route 9. "But don't think you've seen the last of me! Either of you!"

Finally, she disappeared around the corner. I turned to face Hau; he had risen his head at that point, but it was clear that he was still pretty upset by what he'd been told.

{**_...You do know that's not true, right?_**} I asked him. {_**Team Skull isn't anymore honest than they are pleasant.**_}

"Well...I mean, I _hope_ it's not true," he replied. "But..._Ouch_. They've poked fun at me for stuff before, but...That one cut pretty deep, you know?"

{**_I can imagine...Why do you think I got so angry at her?_**}

"Heh...Yeah. Guess that's proof enough that YOU don't think that about me," he nodded, his smile finally starting to return. "But, like...Someone sayin' something like that kinda does make me wonder if I'm really living up to people's expectations, you know? You ever feel that way about stuff?"

{**_Hmm...I can't say I haven't._**}

"Yeah?"

{**_Yes...I felt like I wasn't living up to my full potential at one point. But..._**}

"But what?"

{**_Well...That was what earned me THIS._**}

I raised a claw and tapped at the jagged scar streaming down the side of my jaws.

"Oh. Oh, dang..."

{**_But I guess you can't try to fight your way to the top without taking a risk of some sort,_**} I figured. {**_Besides, I was all on my own trying to achieve that goal. You, though? You're not alone in this. I'm backing you up. Every step of the way as we go on this Island Challenge. That's my new goal. And it's yours...And since we're both on the same path walking side-by-side, that means I'M not alone, either. And I couldn't have found a better companion to find myself taking this journey with. You're not a disappointment. You're a role model, you're my friend, you're..._**}

I paused.

{_**...No. You're not just a friend to me anymore, Hau,**_} I corrected myself. {_**...You're my brother.**_}

His eyes widened a bit, and his small smile grew bigger still.

"...You really think that, huh?"

{**_I do...Plumeria and her underlings don't have anything on us. Trust me...We'll show 'em one of these days._**}

I nudged him with my elbow, and whatever sadness remained in his eyes seemed to fade in an instant.

"...Heh...You said it, Echo," he replied. "Ha ha...You know, if I'm your brother, I guess that makes you my sister, right?"

{**_It does, doesn't it?_**}

"Yeah...Guess Rotom here was right when he said I was like, a cool uncle to your Pokemon, huh?"

_"Yep! I called it! Ha!_"

"You sure did...So, should we keep going? Can't wait to see you go all out against the Kahuna!"

{_**I was just about to say something along those lines,**_} I replied, looking at the path ahead and into the clearing. {**_...Let's go in._**}

We headed past the twin statues lining the path and looked up at the entry into the ruins.

{**_So there are the Ruins of Life, are they Rotom?_**}

"_That they are! The people on Akala Island vizzzit here to pay their respects to the Island Deity Tapu Lele! Kzzt!_"

"Yeah...But speaking of visiting, where's Kahuna Olivia at?" Hau wondered aloud. "You think she might've gone inside?"

{**_Well...There's only one way to find out, I suppose,_**} I decided, heading closer to the opening in the earth. {**_Come on. Let's see if-_**}

"Hey! Hold on, Echo! Hau!"

We both turned and looked behind us to see both Professor Burnet and Lillie coming our way. The latter was pink with embarrassment.

"Sorry to trouble you two," the former told us. "But Lillie got herself a little lost in Heahea City, so I decided to bring her to you guys."

"Oh. Uh...Yeah! Not a problem with us!" Hau grinned.

"Ha ha...Yeah...I got a little sidetracked while trying to find my way here."

"I'll say," Burnet nodded. "She says she spotted some more of those Team Skull grunts on her way there, and she lost her way while she was trying to stay out of their sight."

{_**Oh for the love of peace. Team Skull is EVERYWHERE!**_} I crawed in contempt. {**_I just had to deal with them TWICE within two hours! Can't they just pick ONE island to cause trouble on!?_**}

"I'm afraid they never learn their lesson," she replied, shaking her head and sighing. "I just hope that'll change someday soon...I've gotta go, now, though. The Masked Royal is having a match in half an hour, and there's no way I'm going to miss it! See you fellas!"

She turned and headed back down the pathway, and we turned to face Lillie.

"So, uh, Lillie," Hau said to her. "Echo and I were talkin' about this not too long ago. You free tomorrow morning?"

"I think so," she nodded.

"So, ah..." he continued, turning ever so slightly pink in the face. "You keen on meeting us at one of the breakfast nooks in Heahea City tomorrow for, like, some pancakes and stuff like that? I dunno, just a thought...I mean, if you're busy, then I-"

"Actually, that sounds pretty nice," she answered him. "First thing in the morning?"

"Oh. Uh...Yeah! Ah...Rotom, where's the nearest breakfast place?"

"_There'zzz one just in between the Pokémon Center and the Game Freak Office building southeast of the Dimensional Research Lab!_"

"Awesome...Hey, what kind of ratings does the place have?"

"_Oh, you're doin' your homework on this, huh? I couldn't imagine why..._"

"Chill out, Rotom. I'm not gonna want to eat at a place with horrible reviews."

"_Because you wanna impress._"

"DUDE!"

Rotom burst into a fit of giggles, and Hau just stood there, turning redder still.

"_Haha...Heh. A__ccording to my database, the place has overall 4.2/5 starzzz,_" my PokéDex finally answered him. "_Not too shabby, if I do say so myself! Bzzt!_"

"Thank you...Okay. So, what brings you here, Lillie?"

"I came here for Nebby," she replied. Both of us noticed the tiny gaseous Pokemon trying to escape from her bag again. "Well...More accurately, I was brought here. But you know what I mean...It's funny, really. Nebby's fascination with the Ruins and always wanting to go to them..."

"_Pew!_"

It'd finally escaped its confines, and was now hovering low to the ground among the three of us.

"Why are these Ruins so important to you, Nebby?" Lillie asked it. "What do the guardians mean to you?"

"_Pew...?_"

It didn't seem to understand, its attention focused on the entrance to the Ruins of Life. All of us looked into the mysterious cavern...

And all of us saw the silhouette emerging from the darkness.

Lillie jumped, unnerved by something so unexpected, and Hau stepped in front of her, Poké Ball in hand. I narrowed my eyes to try and peer into the darkness, but by the time I was able to make out the shape of the figure, it had already stepped into the evening light.

"A-ha! There you are...Perfect timing!"

"Oh..." Hau sighed in relief. "Kahuna Olivia. It's just you."

"So it is," she nodded as she approached us. Lillie beckoned for Nebby to go back into hiding, and when it refused, she stepped in front of it. "Sorry I had to ask you to come all the way here, Echo. Tapu Lele summoned me here to clean up the Ruins some, and I wasn't about to refuse."

{**_Wait,_**} I responded. {_**The Island Deity actually called you to come here?**_}

"Certainly so. We Kahunas don't just preside over the trials of our respective islands; we tend to the Guardian Deities' Ruins, as well!"

{**_Erm...How did it call you here?_**}

"Oh, it usually makes a noise; it's loud enough for all of Akala Island to hear sometimes. Ha! But when it calls, I come...Good thing I'm finally finished with that business. And so are you, regarding the three trials. Right?"

I nodded.

"Well then, I think it's high time we had that Grand Trial, don't you?"

{**_I've been looking forward to it for hours,_**} I chattered, already clutching my first pick for the fight.

"So have I..."

She grabbed a Poké Ball of her own, and Hau and Lillie stepped over to the side, watching from a distance.

"You better prepare yourself, Echo! Me and rugged Rock-Types are gonna show you everything we've got!"

The very moment the sun disappeared beneath the horizon, we called out our first Pokémon, and the Grand Trial I'd been preparing for all afternoon finally commenced.


End file.
